Portugal pulled in €25 billion in tourism revenue in 2023. For travelers who want a mix of culture, food, wine, nature, and authentic local life, it's delivering.
If you want to lean into this trends, MVT travel advisors can point you to tours, hotels & experiences that offer a slower travel, authentic look into the local way of life. Consider combining land and river & train journeys that will give a richer, more sustainable, and more relaxed experience.
Discover all the benefits of working with a travel advisor like, FREE air, up to $300 spending credit, suite upgrades and more insider access!
This 19th-century manor sits high on a hill overlooking vine-covered terraces with the Douro river gently flowing at its feet. It has been beautifully restored, with contemporary interiors reflecting both the region's rich heritage and our Six Senses design values.
Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site means all of the region’s stakeholders fulfil their duty to safeguard its 3,500 plant species. At Six Senses Douro Valley, they are deeply committed to this responsibility and have pledged to maintain the natural environment, as well as conserve and restore the property’s magnificent forest and historical gardens.
Collette will be launching a new small-group tour (max ~24 travellers) called Portugal’s Old World Charms in June 2025. Highlights include the Douro River Valley cruise, vineyard visits, farm-to-table lunches in the Alentejo, with free time, focusing on authenticity, food, wine, and regional traditions.
Local Expert will show you Lisbon's historic downtown and Belém Quarter. From the hilltop perch of Monsaraz, see across the Spanish plains beyond Alqueva Lake — and meet a local boat captain, who will regale you with tales of water adventures during a cruise on its calm waters. In Tomar, choose to explore the Templar Castle's awe-inspiring rotunda with a Local Expert, or visit the Synagogue of Tomar during a guided walk through the city's cobblestone streets. Indulge in a Farm-to-Table dinner in the Douro Valley that will feature locally sourced ingredients, and taste a port produced onsite. Taste port wine at Antónia Adelaide Ferreira’s cellars, and stroll through Porto, a World Heritage town, before relaxing in your five-star hotel in the city’s cultural center. Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant and the opportunity to mingle with your fellow travelers.
Tauck offers a range of tours: land journeys, river cruising (e.g. aboard their ms Andorinha), and small-ship cruises. They cover many of the classic Portugal highlights: Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, the Douro Valley, Évora, etc. You can also consider river cruise + land combinations, e.g. Exploring the Douro, plus Lisbon & Madrid which spans Portugal and Spain, combining cities, countryside, cuisine and wine.
Traveling Portugal by train transforms the experience from a simple sightseeing trip into a journey filled with comfort, style, and authentic discovery. Railbookers makes it effortless to traverse beautiful landscapes—vineyards in the Douro, coastal cliffs, rugged interior, tilled fields, olive groves. From the train you see things you’d miss on the highway. Travel becomes part of the experience, not just getting from A to B.
Many of the tours that you'll see in Portugal and Europe as a whole will emphasis the importance of train travel.European policy and traveler preference are increasingly favorable toward lower-carbon travel. Train travel tends to have a smaller carbon footprint than flying or driving long distances, especially when high-speed or electrified lines are in place. Train travel is a lifestyle for the locals, and for the travelers it can be kind of...romantic.
Sailing by river means enjoying all the conveniences of a traditional cruise, along with all the benefits of inland travel. Stopping in multiple destinations on every trip, you’ll visit bustling cities and hidden gem villages, only unpacking once. Even while onboard you’ll be immersed in the local sights, with ever changing views right outside your window.
River cruising is absolutely the best way to cruise, and the best and most luxurious river cruise is with Uniworld.
Go with MVT for an exclusive $300 per couple shipboard credit on all 2025 departures!
Right now, cruise with Avalon Waterways in Europe and receive FREE airfare and free prepaid gratuities!
Embark on your Suite Ship® in the city of Porto. Take a guided tour to Braga and Guimarães or start exploring the city joining a guided sightseeing. Enjoy a guided tour in the charming town of Lamego or meet the owner of one of the oldest farms in the Douro Valley to sample the proud traditions of olive oil and wine. Enjoy a wine tasting in a local quinta or join a kayak adventure on the Douro River. Visit Freixo de Espada à Cinta, a cozy village with narrow streets, flowered houses, and grand Gothic Manueline windows or choose a full-day experience in Spain with a guided sightseeing excursion to Salamanca. Discover the process of painting an azulejos (traditional Portuguese tile) following the guide of a professional painter. Immerse yourself in an emotionally stirring experience in Portugal’s city of Amarante or taste the unique Vinho Verde.
On Avalon, every room is exterior facing and comes with a view, plus Comfort CollectionSM beds, Egyptian cotton linens, marble bathrooms, and L’Occitane® products. Most guests enjoy a Panorama SuiteSM with a wall-to-wall Open-Air Balcony® and beds that face the passing landscapes.
Named after the Portuguese word for “golden,” the remarkable Douro River glitters across Europe’s Iberian Peninsula. It is here where you can sip renowned wines amid the sun-kissed vineyards of Port Country, taste the distinctive flavors of Portuguese and Spanish cuisine and discover rich culture in colorful cities on one of two specially curated river cruises.
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Portugal boasts 45 new hotels + ~3,600 rooms in 2024 & shows expansion in hospitality. There's increasing demand for 4- to 5-star properties, boutique stays, wellness retreats. Sustainability is not just a buzzword: visitors increasingly expect eco-friendly practices.
Booking with Montecito Village Travel or Your Travel Center ensures every detail is curated for you, from the perfect suite selection to exclusive added-value offers and personalized travel arrangements.
Our advisors are experts in luxury cruising and understand how to match travelers with experiences that align with their passions: gastronomy, or pure exploration.