Portugal Lifestyle Vacation featuring the Alentejo region & Lisbon
COOKING VACATIONS
Portugal Heritage Tour
$5,180.00 – $5,930.00
The Heritage of Portugal, featuring Lisbon & the Alentejo regions is a glorious celebration of Arts, History and Culinary Traditions. This tour is confirmed with 4 people and it is limited to 6 participants.
7 days / 6 nights (Thursday-Wednesday)
♦ Luxury Boutique-Hotels Accommodation
♦ Daily breakfasts, Lunchons & Dinners
♦ Gourmet & Cultural expert-led Tours
♦ Hands-on Cooking Classes
♦ Airport round-trip transfer & transportation by luxury Mercedes minivan
BEFORE BOOKING THIS TOUR, PLEASE CONTACT US.
Welcome to Lisbon & Alentejo in Portugal!
QUINTA ALENTEJANA, EVORA
Located in the outskirts of Evora Unesco listed town, Quinta Alentejana is a 20ha family-run historic estate property offering seven beautifully decorated rooms and suites with all modern comfort.
The small decorative details spread through every corner of this house, making this delightful location, not only a contemplation spot, but also a place of strong inspirational and emotional connection.
In the warm season Quinta Alentejana invites to relaxing walks through its millennial olive grove. After long visiting days, you will be delighted to dine at the property and enjoy traditional meals accompanied by wine.
LX BOUTIQUE HOTEL, LISBON
Located in the heart of the triangle between Chiado, Baixa and Cais do Sodré districts, LX intimate Boutique Hotel offers themed rooms and suites with stunning views over Lisbon and the Taje river. Each room and suite is equipped with air conditioning, mini-bar, and private bathroom. This elegant boutique-hotel is 5 minutes’ walk from restaurants, bars, cafés and shops. Historical sites and museums such as Lisbon Cathedral, Praça do Comércio, Igreja de São Roque and the Chiado Museum are within a 10-minute walk.
The LX boutique hotel was reborn from the ashes of the Hotel Bragança, a century-old building in central Lisbon near the Taje river. Fernando Pessoa, one of Portugal’s most prominent writers and poets, would take his constitutional walks on the street. The derelict building was renovated as an elegant boutique hotel to offer its guests a true Lisbon experience.
PORTUGUESE CUISINE & GOURMET EXPERIENCES
The cuisine of Portugal is straight forward and hearty, matching fish and seafood with meat, and quality-fresh ingredients from the fertile land. Spices such as piri-piri, black pepper, vanilla, cinnamon and saffron are very used; a remembrance to the influence of Portugal’s former colonial possessions. Olive oil is the basis of the Portuguese cuisine as garlic and herbs flavor lots of dishes.
Bacalhau (codfish) is more than a traditional dish, it’s a national obsession!
Nicknamed “o fiel amigo” (faithful friend), codfish is traditionally served on Christmas Eve in Portugal. There are hundreds of different recipes and versions of this classic, but Bacalhau à Brás is one of the best… combining onions, chips, olives, parsley, egg and, of course, cod. From octopus salad to codfish croquettes, sautéed clams with herbs and garlic, caldo verde vegetables and chorizo soup, cataplana fish stew, chicken in the pot, custard pastry…there is a long, very long list of specialities that you will learn to cook and enjoy throughout your journey!
You will enjoy the flavorful Portuguese cuisine in traditional and Michelin restaurants.
PORTUGAL, ONE OF THE BIGGEST WINE PRODUCTION COUNTRY IN EUROPE
Portugal is also one of the oldest wine production country in the world as Phoenicians probably introduced winemaking to the south, and the Romans spread vine cultivation and winemaking further upcountry as they drove out the northern Celts. Today 14 regions in Portugal produce elegant reds and dry whites.
The Heritage of Portugal Tour features the Alentejo region covering about one third of the country, and winemakers in the remaining 2/3 can often be heard to complain about the popularity of Alentejo wines. Évora, Redondo and Reguengos are more typical of the Alentejo, and can make smooth, harmonious, very easy-drinking reds. The white Antão Vaz is the star grape of the region, with good acidity and tropical fruit flavors.
MARKET TOUR & COOKING CLASSES – VISITS TO WINERIES
This program includes two cooking experiences:
1/ Market Cooking Class in Lisbon,
2/ Cooking Class in Evora.
Both classes are hands-on and taught in English. Within about 3 hours, you will learn how to prepare and to cook a 3-course meal celebrating the Portuguese cuisine. It will include a starter, a main course and a dessert. Food & wine pairing tasting lunch and dinner will follow each class. Menus will consider your likes, dislikes, food restrictions or allergies.
3/ You will visit two wineries in Evora and in Reguengos, among the most reputed ones in Alentejo and in Portugal. Each visit is followed by a wine tasting.
ITINERARY
Day 1 (Thursday) – WELCOME TO LISBON & TO PORTUGAL!
Meet Corinne at Lisbon airport.
Transfer to Evora by private van.
Lunch break in Palmela medieval village on the way.
Check-in at Quinta Alentejena luxury boutique-hotel.Resting time.
Dinner at the hotel. Overnight.
Day 2 (Friday) – EVORA FULL-DAY TOUR
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning visit to a cork manufacture.
A Choupana lunch break.
Afternoon cultural guided walking tour.
Evening cooking class followed by dinner.
Overnight.
Day 3 (Saturday) – ESTREMOZ MARKET – VISIT TO A WINERY
After breakfast, transfer to Estremoz (30 minutes) by private van.
Open-air market tour followed by gourmet lunch.
Afternoon guided visit to a family-run wine estate which has earned the attention of the wine industry with several national and international awards and distinctions. Premium wines tasting follows the visit.
Transfer to Evora. Time free in town for shopping.
Michelin food and wine pairing gourmet dinner in Evora.
Overnight.
Day 4 (Sunday) – TRANSFER TO LISBON THROUGH ARRAIOLOS
After breakfast. Check-out. Transfer to Arraiolos.
Walking tour in the village and lunch in a local restaurant.
Transfer to Lisbon.
Check-in at LX boutique-hotel. Resting time.
Dinner in a casual restaurant nearby.
Overnight.
Day 5 (Monday) – BELEM, CASCAIS & SINTRA FULL-DAY TOUR
After breakfast, morning tour to Belem quarter (Tower of Belem, Monument of Discovery, Jeronimos Monastery, Museum of Marine)
Transfer to Cascais on the coast. Lunch break overlooking the ocean.
Afternoon Sintra Royal Palace guided tour.
Transfer to Lisbon.
Dinner on your own.
Overnight.
Day 6 (Tuesday) – MARKET COOKING CLASS IN LISBON – AFTERNOON ECO-TUK TOUR
Breakfast at the hotel.
Market cooking class starting at 9:30am followed by a food and wine pairing tasting lunch. You will experience the shopping with the chef before partaking a 3-hour hands-on class celebrating the traditional Portuguese cuisine. Lunch accompanied by wine follows the class.
Afternoon 2-hour silent and zero-emission Eco-Tuk tour departing from the market to explore the hills of Lisbon through the picturesque quarters, to finish steps to Praça de Comercio, on the Taje riverbanks.
Time free in Lisbon for shopping.
Farewell gourmet Michelin dinner.
Overnight.
Day 7 (Wednesday) – TRANSFER TO LISBON AIRPORT / END OF THE TOUR
Check-out after breakfast.
Transfer to Lisbon airport.
End of the tour.
