Portugal Luxury Vacation Review: Cascais, Belem Walking Tour, Obidos Ginja Tasting, Paleolithic Rock Engravings

What made our trip so special was the unique experiences planned by our trip designer. Visits to wonderful wineries in the Douro River Valley; a short river excursion on the Douro; learning about filagree from a local artisan; an archaeologist led hike along the Coa River to see Paleolithic rock engravings; visits to historic synagogues in Belmonte & Tomar; an impromptu evening visit to Fatima; Ginja tasting in the charming town of Óbidos; and so much more...

From Lisbon, a day trip to Sintra and Cascais were highlights as were a walking tour of Belem, the historic city center, and a memorable evening to a Fado house led by an expert guide and Fado singer! 

The company arranged for us to stay in exquisite 5 star boutique hotels along our way. We stayed at a beautiful vineyard estate, a gorgeous mountaintop retreat (both with terrific restaurants), and perfectly located city hotels with amazing views. 

We were fortunate to be privately escorted by our guide, who was as engaging as he was knowledgeable and found ways to enhance each stop we made and scenic drive we took. 

Our guide arranged our wonderful meals, taking into consideration our dietary preferences and tastes and always finding the best pastries along the way. 

We planned this trip hoping to learn about Portuguese Jewish history. The trip designer & guide facilitated visits to multiple synagogues. Our guide shared his knowledge of the Jewish history of Portugal throughout the trip which we really appreciated. 
Our most exquisite & unique overnight was a mountaintop retreat.
We stayed on the highest mountain peak of Portugal near the Spanish border overlooking the city of Manteigas with a spectacular panoramic view of the stars.