Our Portugal vacations

Portugal’s long coastline and under-explored interior are ideal for low carbon travel like cycling or walking. Our relaxed, carefully designed routes take you into rural areas of the Algarve and Alentejo, far from overcrowded resorts, or along the wild Atlantic Coast between Porto and Lisbon. The locally owned hotels and restaurants that we use benefit from vacations that typically bookend the peak season, and offer you a genuine taste of Portuguese culture. Walking vacations also look to Madeira and the gorgeous Sintra Natural Park outside the capital. This ever-popular family destination also offers plenty of expertly guided activity vacations.

Our top Portugal vacations

Whale watching in the Azores

From £635 to £935
8 days ex flights
Classic whale watching trip in the Azores archipelago

Portuguese Coastal Way walking vacation

From 925 to1075
8 days ex flights
The scenic alternative to the classic Portuguese Way
Tailor made

Algarve vacation accommodation

From 75 to265
per accommodation per night
Enchanting agrotourism on 6 ha rural estate close to beach
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Family activity vacation in the Azores

From 990 to1290
7 days ex flights
A week full of fun activities for all the family in S.Miguel

Douro valley by kayak vacation, across Portugal

From 3370
10 days ex flights
Kayak across Portugal on the Douro River

Walking vacation in Madeira

From US $1530 to US $2025
8 days ex flights
Walk through the wild and varied scenery of Madeira
Small group2024: 11 May, 18 May, 1 Jun, 15 Jun, 6 Jul, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 5 Oct, 12 Oct, 19 Oct, 2 Nov, 16 Nov, 2025: 4 Jan, 1 Feb, 8 Feb, 22 Feb, 1 Mar, 8 Mar, 15 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 5 Jul, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 4 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 15 Nov, 27 Dec

Island hopping in the Azores, small group

From US $2920 to US $3790
14 days ex flights
An easy walking vacation on the Azores
Small group2024: 16 May, 2 Jun, 16 Jun, 7 Jul, 21 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 8 Sep, 10 Oct

Alentejo & Algarve self guided hiking vacation, Portugal

From 567
8 days ex flights
Independent coastal walking vacations in the Alentejo Coast

Azores multi activity vacation

From 950 to1260
7 days ex flights
Week of fun activities exploring Sao Miguel Island

About our Portugal vacations

Portugal on two wheels

Portugal is growing in popularity for cycling vacations, thanks to many magnificent coastal and inland routes, most of which seem to end in a sandy beach. Typically, our cycling options are tailor made, self guided trips with plenty of support and excellent route notes provided by locally-based experts. Portugal’s wild and windswept Atlantic Coast from Porto to Lisbon is a popular route, and there are lush trails in the Peneda-Gerês National Park in the north of the country. And if you want a really different destination, try our cycling trips in the Azores, an Atlantic archipelago where you can combine cycling with world-class whale watching. All of our cycling trips are committed to protecting the natural environment and minimising the effects of overcrowding in the destinations they visit. 

Walking in Portugal

There’s more to Portugal than beach vacations, and one of the best ways to find that out is with one of our walking vacations. You can follow levada water channels through UNESCO-protected forest on Madeira, watching out for dolphins dancing in the waves. In the Azores, walking and whale watching makes for a sublime combination. And in the Alentejo region you can leave the crowds behind, exploring aromatic pine groves, traditional fishing villages on the coast, and plains of cork oaks, olive trees and grapevines. Expect to cover around 20km a day on our walking vacations that are typically tailor made, self guided and always supportive of the communities they visit.

Family vacations away from the crowds

The Algarve might be best-known for family vacations, but there’s also plenty of fun to be had elsewhere in Portugal. You can explore Roman and Arabic ruins, and learn the stories of Europe’s first great ocean explorers. And while the most popular beaches of the Algarve can get crowded during peak season, Portugal boasts some 1,800km of extraordinarily diverse coastline – ideal not just for sunbathing, but also for our activity vacations, featuring surfing, scuba diving and kayaking too. Our vacations visit the quieter, less touristy areas in the Algarve where you can get a taste of the real Portugal away from the resorts.

Flight free vacations to Portugal

Portugal is a lot closer than you might think, and you can easily get from London to Lisbon in under 24 hours on a flight free vacation. A typical journey from the UK might go through northern Spain by ferry and road from Portsmouth, or through Spain via Lyon or Paris by rail. And of course there are several scenic routes from other parts of Europe. Our friendly Travel Team are always happy to help with advice, and you’ll find details of suggested routes and approximate timings on many of our vacation pages.

Tours & vacations in Portugal

Most visitors to Portugal focus on the Algarve or Lisbon, but the country also has a fantastic reputation for walking vacations and cycling vacations. We offer tailor made walking and cycling trips for both and there are plenty of small group vacations to choose from too. And if you like to mix things up a little, you can also opt for one of our multi activity vacations, whether that’s watersports in Alentejo or mountain biking with kayaking and whale watching in the Azores. Our adventure vacations cover everything from swimming with dolphins in crystal clear waters off Madeira, to cycling and surfing your way around the Costa Verde. You can be sure that your trip will benefit local communities and protect the natural environment you visit.

Where to go on vacation in Portugal

Inland Algarve, and the southwest coast, are a world apart from the golf resorts, high rises, time shares and crowded beaches found in other parts of the region. Instead, expect sleepy villages and seaside towns, and great expanses of countryside to explore. The Alentejo region borders the Algarve, and is largely overlooked by tourists. It offers tranquil, undeveloped landscapes perfect for cycling and walking, plus windy beaches to tempt surfers. And Madeira, to the west of Morocco, is a volcanic island with a coastline fringed with reefs and an interior composed of mountains, plunging valleys and lush forest.
[Cycling vacations : Marien van Os] [Walking vacations: VinceTraveler] [Family vacations: Ollie Harding] [Flight free vacations : Ricardo Resende] [Types of vacations : Web Summit] [Where to go in Portugal : Mario Cruz]
Photo credits: [Page banner: Ian_woodhead1] [Cycling vacations : Marien van Os] [Walking vacations: VinceTraveler] [Family vacations: Ollie Harding] [Flight free vacations : Ricardo Resende] [Types of vacations : Web Summit] [Where to go in Portugal : Mario Cruz]