Hamilton & Chase Tours
South of Portugal — Private Package 7-day Portugal tour: Lisbon, Sintra, Lagos, Sagres & Cape St. Vincent

7-Day Private Package Journey

South of Portugal

Lisbon, Sintra, Lagos, Sagres & Cape St. Vincent

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided
From €2,100 per person 7 days / 6 nights
View Itinerary

Tour Overview

7 days across Portugal.

Lisbon's tiled hills and historic grandeur in the north, then the Algarve — limestone cliffs the colour of burnt honey, turquoise water, and the wild southwestern cape where the continent runs out of land. This seven-day private journey gives each world its proper due: three nights in the capital with a fairy-tale day trip to Sintra, then a first-class train south to the coast for three nights exploring the most dramatic shoreline in southern Europe. Private guides, private transfers, and hotels chosen for position and character throughout.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1 — Arrival in Lisbon
Day 1
1

Day 1

Arrival in Lisbon

The Atlantic capital, golden in the afternoon light.

Your private driver meets you at Humberto Delgado Airport and delivers you into Lisbon — a city that has always known it is close to the edge of the world, and that awareness gives it a particular quality of light and unhurriedness. After checking into your hotel in the historic centre, the day is yours. Walk down to the Praça do Comércio, where the Tagus is so wide it looks like the sea, and sit for a coffee at one of the riverside cafés. The neighbourhood of Mouraria is ten minutes uphill — narrow streets, jasmine over doorways, and the occasional sound of fado drifting from a window. For dinner, find a tasca in the Alfama and order grilled sea bass with potatoes and olive oil: simple, perfect, and very Portuguese.

  • Private airport transfer
  • Tagus waterfront and Commerce Square at leisure
  • First evening in Lisbon's historic districts
4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre
Day 2 — Highlights of Lisbon
Day 2
2

Day 2

Highlights of Lisbon

From Moorish ramparts to maritime glory.

Your private guide leads you through Lisbon's most storied layers, beginning at Restauradores Square and riding the famous funicular up to Bairro Alto for sweeping views over the Mouraria and São Jorge Castle. From the heights, descend through Chiado — its elegant cafés and boutique shops unchanged for decades — and into Baixa, the Pombaline grid of streets designed after the catastrophic earthquake of 1755. Through Rossio Square, the route continues into the Alfama, Lisbon's oldest and most atmospheric quarter — a maze of whitewashed houses and steep lanes unchanged since the Moors lived here — where you'll visit the Sé Cathedral and emerge into the sun-warmed Commerce Square. The afternoon is yours: perhaps the tram to Belém for Jerónimos Monastery and a custard tart from the famous bakery, or the National Tile Museum, or simply a glass of vinho verde at a miradouro as the city catches the light.

  • Bairro Alto funicular and panoramic views
  • Private guided walk through Alfama, Chiado and Baixa
  • Sé Cathedral and Commerce Square
  • Rossio Square and post-earthquake history
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre
Day 3 — Sintra Excursion & Belém
Day 3
3

Day 3

Sintra Excursion & Belém

Palaces in the clouds, then the monuments of the sea.

Your driver and guide collect you after breakfast for a day that captures two of Portugal's most unforgettable sites. First, the Serra de Sintra — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of ancient forest and royal palaces rising above the Atlantic plain. Pena Palace is the centrepiece: a gloriously eccentric confection of canary-yellow walls, Moorish towers, and Gothic battlements perched above the treeline. Your guide leads you through the palace gardens and the town below, where cobbled lanes wind past convents and quintas. On the return to Lisbon, your driver stops in Belém — the maritime quarter where Portugal's Age of Discovery began. Jerónimos Monastery, whose Manueline stone carvings celebrate the sea with ropes and armillary spheres, stands beside the Tower of Belém and the Monument to the Discoverers on the Tagus waterfront. End with a pastéis de nata from the bakery where the recipe has been a secret since 1837.

  • Pena Palace — Sintra's royal fantasy in the clouds
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sintra landscape
  • Jerónimos Monastery and Tower of Belém
  • Monument to the Discoverers
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon historic centre
Day 4 — First-Class Train to the Algarve
Day 4
4

Day 4

First-Class Train to the Algarve

South, toward the sun and the limestone coast.

After breakfast, your private driver takes you to Lisbon's Entrecampos station for the first-class train south — a comfortable journey through the cork-oak plains of the Alentejo, the landscape shifting from golden fields and isolated quintas to the limestone ridges and wild rosemary of the Algarve as the train approaches the coast. At the station, your private driver is waiting with a sign to carry you to your seaside hotel in the Vilamoura area — the central Algarve coast, perfectly positioned for everything the next few days will bring. Check in, breathe the salt air, and spend the afternoon at leisure: the hotel pool, the beach, or simply a seafood lunch on a sun-warmed terrace overlooking the Atlantic. The pace has changed. You're on the coast now.

  • First-class train journey through the Alentejo countryside
  • Private transfers to and from the station
  • Afternoon at leisure by the sea
  • First views of the Algarve coastline
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ coastal resort, Algarve
Day 5 — Lagos, Sagres & Cape St. Vincent
Day 5
5

Day 5

Lagos, Sagres & Cape St. Vincent

The golden coast, the wild cape, and the edge of the old world.

Your guide for the day specialises in the Algarve's landscape and history. The morning takes you to Lagos, the historic port city where Henry the Navigator established his school of navigation in the fifteenth century. Your guide leads you through the old walled centre, past the Church of Saint Anthony with its extraordinary gilded interior and the site of the historical slave market, to Ponta da Piedade — the most dramatic section of the Algarve coast, where limestone formations the colour of burnt terracotta rise from the sea in arches, needles, and grottoes that glow amber in the morning light. From Lagos, the road continues west along the increasingly wild coastline to Sagres — the flat-topped promontory where Prince Henry's fortress still stands above cliffs battered by the Atlantic from three directions. A short drive further brings you to Cape St. Vincent, the southwesternmost point of mainland Europe: a lighthouse on a black cliff, the ocean on all sides, and a view that stretches forty miles into nothing but water. The drive back passes through landscapes that have barely changed since the Age of Discoveries.

  • Lagos historic walled centre and Church of Saint Anthony
  • Ponta da Piedade spectacular rock formations
  • Sagres Fortress — Henry the Navigator's base
  • Cape St. Vincent — southwesternmost point of mainland Europe
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ coastal resort, Algarve
Day 6 — Free Day in the Algarve
Day 6
6

Day 6

Free Day in the Algarve

The coast is yours — however you want it.

Today is entirely yours — a deliberate pause in the itinerary to enjoy the Algarve at your own pace. The coast offers a dozen ways to spend the day: a kayak tour into the sea caves at Ponta da Piedade in the early morning when the light turns the rock to gold; a catamaran cruise along the cliffs at sunset with a glass of wine on the deck; the old Moorish town of Albufeira with its labyrinthine lanes and viewpoints above the beach; a boat ride to the grottoes at Benagil; or simply a sunbed, a good book, and the sound of the Atlantic doing what it has always done. We'll have a full list of options waiting at the hotel — or do nothing at all. Some of the best travel days are the ones with no plan.

  • Unscheduled day to explore at your own pace
  • Optional: kayak cave tour, catamaran cruise, or beach day
  • Optional: Albufeira old town or Benagil sea cave boat tour
  • Curated list of activities and restaurants provided
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ coastal resort, Algarve
Day 7 — Departure
Day 7
7

Day 7

Departure

The limestone cliffs stay with you long after the plane lifts.

Your last Algarve morning is yours entirely — a final swim, a final coffee at a clifftop café, or a walk down to the beach in the early light when the water is still glassy and the crowds haven't arrived. At the agreed time, your private driver transfers you to Faro Airport for your departure — or to Lisbon by private vehicle if your schedule requires. Your travel specialist is reachable until you're home, and we'll follow up a few days later to hear which cliff, which beach, or which moment you're already planning to come back for.

  • Final Algarve morning at leisure
  • Private transfer to Faro Airport
Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

4–5★ centrally located hotel, Lisbon

Lisbon

3 nights

4–5★ centrally located hotel

Historic centre

Walking distance to Alfama, Baixa, and the Tagus waterfront — base for city highlights and Sintra day trip

4–5★ coastal resort, Algarve

Algarve

3 nights

4–5★ coastal resort

Central Algarve coast

Beach or clifftop position with easy access to Lagos, Sagres, and the western cape — resort style with sea-view rooms available

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

  • 6 nights in 4–5★ hotels and coastal resort (double occupancy)
  • Daily breakfast at each hotel
  • Private airport transfers (Lisbon arrival, Faro departure)
  • First-class train ticket Lisbon to the Algarve
  • Private transfers to and from train stations
  • Private expert guides in Lisbon, Sintra, and the Algarve coast
  • Full-day Lagos, Sagres & Cape St. Vincent excursion
  • Skip-the-line access at major Lisbon sites
  • All entrance fees included in guided visits
  • 24/7 travel specialist support throughout your trip
  • Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet with restaurant and local recommendations

Not Included

  • International flights to Lisbon / from Faro
  • Travel insurance (required — we can arrange coverage on request)
  • Lunches and dinners
  • Optional boat tours and water activities
  • Personal expenses (shopping, additional drinks, spa treatments)
  • Gratuities for guides and drivers (optional but appreciated)
  • City tax (collected directly by hotels, typically €1–2 per person per night)

Good to Know

  • This itinerary is a starting point — every day, hotel, and experience can be adjusted to match your preferences and pace.
  • The Algarve resort is centrally positioned for easy access to all coastal areas; hotel upgrades, beachfront villas, and five-star options are available.
  • All guides and experiences are arranged exclusively for your group — never shared with other travellers.
  • Comfortable walking shoes are essential for Lisbon and Sintra. The Algarve days are more relaxed.
  • Flexible booking: adjust or postpone your dates up to 60 days before departure at no charge.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Algarve kayak and cave tour

A guided kayak journey into sea caves and natural arches along the Ponta da Piedade coast — best at sunrise

From €75 pp

Sunset catamaran cruise

A private catamaran along the Algarve coast at golden hour — cliffs, sea caves, and wine on the deck

From €90 pp

Benagil cave boat tour

A boat ride to the famous Benagil sea cave — one of the most photographed natural formations in Portugal

From €65 pp

Silves and inland Algarve half-day

The Moorish capital of the Algarve — a red sandstone castle above an orange-tree valley, and a medieval bridge over the Arade River

From €85 pp

Fado dinner in Alfama

A traditional dinner in a historic Lisbon tasca with live fado performance — the definitive Lisbon evening

From €95 pp

Professional photo session

A portrait session at the Lagos cliffs or Lisbon's Alfama lanes with a local photographer

From €350

"We came for the beaches but fell in love with Lisbon. Sintra was like stepping into a fairy tale, and Sagres was the most dramatic place either of us had ever stood — that lighthouse at the end of the world. Hamilton & Chase arranged everything perfectly and the guide in Lagos was exceptional."

Claire & Tom W.

Edinburgh, UK · South of Portugal, June 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Can I spend more time in the Algarve?

Absolutely — and many guests do. The itinerary can be extended to 8 or 9 days with extra time on the coast, adding Albufeira's old Moorish town, the east Algarve near Tavira, or a day on the water. Your specialist will tailor it.

Is this tour good for families with children?

Yes. The Algarve is one of the best family destinations in Europe — calm, safe beaches, boat tours the children love, and seafood restaurants with patience for younger diners. We'll adjust the Lisbon day to include age-appropriate stops. Sea cave tours need children who are comfortable in small boats.

Private Package Journey

South of Portugal

7 days / 6 nights

From €2,100

per person

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