Cooking & Hiking in Northern Portugal

Day One

• Arrive in Porto and private transfer to your hotel.
• Free time to explore Porto, with dinner tonight on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Two

• Breakfast at the hotel, then meet your driver for your first culinary experience! You will learn about Porto’s famous “Francesinha” sandwich, which is comprised of ham, meat, cheese, and a special sauce. Learn to make this iconic dish from a local chef, and enjoy a convivial (and filling) lunch afterwards.
• After lunch, enjoy a guided tour through Porto’s historic district. You will see all the charm of this picturesque city. Explore the Church of São Francisco, an gothic church known as the “cave of gold” for its gold-leaf covered wood work, which was added in the Baroque period.
• Next door, find the Stock Exchange, which has incredible granite work and neo-Arab influences.
• Stop to enjoy the famed glazed tiles of the São Bento Railway station before passing by the twelfth-century Cathedral.
• Afterwards, enjoy views on the Douro river and the Port Wine lodges. Your driver will leave you to visit the wine cellars on your own. After crossing the D. Luîs Bridge you will already start to smell the aroma of the aging Port wine. You can learn about the production, storage, and tasting of this amazing local product that is known the world over. Return to the hotel on your own. (If you prefer to skip the Port Wine lodges, your driver can take you back to the hotel.)
• Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Three

• Breakfast at the hotel, then meet your driver.
• Depart for the lush green landscape where Portuguese soldiers started the dream of a national Portugal. You will first visit the birthplace of the nation, Guimarães, the first capital of Portugal in AD 1096 (chosen by the first king, Afonso Henriques), and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the sacred hill of the castle and then the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança.
• Head next to Braga, the oldest religious capital of Portugal. Visit Sameiro and the Bom Jesus Sanctuary. The famous Baroque staircase that leads to the Bom Jesus is among the most noted sites in Portugal (be sure to bring your walking shoes!). Next head to the cathedral in the historical center.
• Lunch break in Braga (on your own), then head to Barcelos, which is part of the “Portuguese Way” path on the Camino de Santiago. This town boasts one of the most traditional symbols of popular justice and freedom in Portugal, the rooster of Barcelos. The legendary story tells how, when a pilgrim was accused of theft and convicted, the pilgrim looked at the rooster the judge was about to eat and stated, “If I am innocent, this rooster will crow three times.” The rooster crowed, and the pilgrim was released!
• Visit the historical center of the town, as well as some of the best handicraft shops in Portugal.
• Return to Porto. Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Four

• Breakfast and check out of the hotel.
• Meet your driver and head to Amarante, where you will enjoy a private cooking class that will introduce you to the cuisine of the Minho region. Your chef will lead you in a fun, authentic taste of Portuguese gastronomy! Lunch based on your efforts with excellent local wines.
• In the afternoon, enjoy a guided hiking tour in Mondim de Baixo.
• Head to your hotel, with dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Five

• Breakfast at the hotel, then meet your driver and depart for the green landscape of the Serra do Marão. Enjoy a hike along the trails that make their way through Amarante’s mountains. Be dazzled by the landscape and the animal life, explore the mine routes of the mounatin of Marão or the Dolmens routes of the Mountain of Aboboreira. The hiking can be tailor made for the distance and difficulty you prefer.
• Enjoy a picnic during your hike.
• Return to your hotel in the afternoon.
• Time to rest, and dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Six

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Meet your driver and head for the Amarante mountains. Walk along trails and let the beautiful vistas and natural landscape take your breath away, including the Fisgas do Ermelo waterfalls. (Once again, the hiking can be adapted to the distance and difficulty you prefer.)
• Return to the hotel for your last evening, with dinner on your own.
• Overnight.

Day Seven

• Breakfast, and transfer to Porto airport or train station.