Those of you planning to take that dream vacation to Portugal this year should consider taking a day or two to experience a private tour with an expert tour guide. Sounds kind of strange coming from us who love to wander around, yes? But sometimes, we enjoy a great tour, especially with a knowledgable guide. We get to know the local culture as well as try the local cuisine recommended by a local expert! It also gives us the chance to know the city better so that we can wander around more freely!
Why hire a private tour?
Hiring a private tour guide when traveling in Portugal can offer you unique travel experiences that many large group tours cannot. Private tour guides are experts on the local history, culture, and attractions. They can provide in-depth insights, fascinating stories, and insider information that you might miss when exploring on your own or with a larger group tour.
With a private guide, you have the flexibility to customize your itinerary according to your interests, pace, and preferences. The guide can tailor the tour to your specific needs, ensuring a more meaningful and enjoyable experience. Plus, you may also get to experience lesser-known attractions, secret viewpoints, and off-the-beaten-path experiences that most tourists miss. They can take you to unique places that offer a more authentic and immersive cultural experience.
If you don’t speak Portuguese, a private guide can act as a translator and cultural interpreter, helping you navigate language barriers and providing context to the local customs and traditions. Private guides are familiar with the local environment and can provide valuable advice on safety precautions, areas to avoid, and how to stay vigilant in crowded tourist spots.
With a private guide, you can optimize your time and avoid getting lost or wasting time navigating unfamiliar areas. They can plan the most efficient routes and ensure you make the most of your limited travel time. Plus, they often have insider tips on the best restaurants, shops, and local experiences that you might not find in travel guides or online reviews.
While hiring a private tour guide may be more expensive than joining a large group tour or exploring independently, the personalized attention, expert knowledge, and tailored experience can make it a worthwhile investment, especially for those seeking a more immersive and meaningful travel experience in Portugal.
Which type of tour is best for you?
Well, only you know what you want, right? So the first step is to decided how much time you have, how many people you want to be group with (if you want to do a group tour) and what do you want to see.
For example, the first time that Beth and I came to Lisbon, we really only had half a day before we were headed to Porto. We planned to come back to Lisbon, but wanted an overview of the city just to see what was here (we really had no idea). So, we decided to do a TukTuk tour. We booked it through Viator the first time and signed up for 2 hours.
Our guide was able to take us around to all the cool lookout spots, drive us to the major neighbourhoods, gave us an overview of the buildings and history of Lisbon and recommended a good restaurant to have dinner. She even took us to a great little cafe to try Ginjinha for the first time!
The second trip when we we took a tour in Lisbon, we took a longer tour with the antique cars tour company. We got a more in-depth history of many of the buildings, statues, and other monuments of Lisbon as well as great places for photo ops and recommendations for restaurants. Local guides are a great way to not only learn about the city, but also a great way to learn about hidden gems we wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
I will say this about TukTuk tours. I love them–I think they are a great way to get around the city and are easily maneuverable for parking. But sometimes, they are hard to get in and out of, especially if you are older. They are also bumpy but mostly because you are riding on cobblestone roads. We have found that the ones that look like antique cars are the best because they are higher up and take the bumps better. Just food for thought.
Choosing a tour guide
Choosing the right private tour guide can make a big difference in your travel experience. We have noticed that sometimes the tour guide will make or break the whole tour. Here are some good tips to help you select a reliable and knowledgeable private guide in Portugal.
- Check credentials and qualifications: Look for guides who are licensed, certified, or accredited by reputable tourism organizations or associations. This ensures they have the necessary training and expertise.
- Read reviews and ratings: Check online reviews from previous clients on platforms like TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, or the guide’s website. Pay attention to comments about their knowledge, communication skills, and overall professionalism.
- Inquire about language skills: If you don’t speak Portuguese, ensure the guide is fluent in your preferred language for clear communication and a better overall experience.
- Assess their expertise: Choose a guide who specializes in the areas or attractions you’re most interested in, whether it’s history, architecture, food, wine, or outdoor activities.
- Consider their personality: A good guide should be friendly, patient, and able to adapt to your pace and interests. A compatible personality can make your tour more enjoyable.
- Ask about group size: If you prefer a more intimate experience, inquire about the maximum group size the guide takes on to ensure personalized attention.
- Check availability and flexibility: Make sure the guide is available on your preferred dates and can accommodate any special requests or customizations you may have.
- Verify insurance and licenses: For your safety and peace of mind, ensure the guide has the necessary licenses, insurance, and permits to operate legally in the areas you’ll be visiting.
- Discuss fees and inclusions: Understand what is included in the guide’s fee, such as transportation, entrance fees, meals, or any additional costs, to avoid surprises. Many tour guides offer tailor-made tours and the cost may differ from what you expected.
- Get references: Ask for references, especially if you’re booking through an independent guide or a smaller company. Speaking with past clients can give you valuable insights.
Below, I have given some recommendations for private tours and have also put together an extensive list of tour companies and private tour guides for you to use when choosing your tour and your guide. They have been recommended by visitors from all over the globe and offer a high level of service to their clients.
Private Tours in Lisbon
You will not have any problems finding guided tours in Lisbon. Just step outside of your hotel and there is probably a TukTuk sitting there. But Lisbon has such a rich history and so many hills that a guided tour is the best way to get your bearings. Lisbon is the city of 7 hills, so a walking tour might exhaust you.
Our top choice for a tour guide is Visit Portugal with Peppe. Peppe takes you all over Lisbon from the heart of the city to Cristo Rei and back. The guided tour is about four hours and Peppe is quite knowledgeable and comes highly recommended. He will pick you up at your hotel in a car (not a TukTuk) and bring you back. He can accommodate anywhere from 6-50 people. He has it all!
If you are looking for a food tour, try Oh My Cod Tours. They have several small tours to choose from that will take you on a journey of the best food in Lisbon. They also do Fado shows and boat tours. Plus, you gotta love that name!
Places outside of Lisbon area you should consider a private tour
Sintra: Pena Palace, Quinta de Regaleira, and the Moorish Castle
Finding a local tour for Sintra is a cinch! As soon as you get off the train there are many waiting for you. But. finding a great guide is a little more difficult fortunately, I can suggest a few for you so that you can get the best possible experience.
Daniel Ponce with Yes, You Deserve is a great choice to visit the breathtaking natural landscape of Sintra. He is from there and knows all the good stories and insights. Whether you want a tour around the Pena National Palace or the top sites in and around the area, Daniel will do a great job showing you around.
Évora
Évora is a lovely city located in the Alentejo region and an about an hour and 40 minutes outside of Lisbon so it is a day trip. For this particular tour, I would recommend Emanuel R. Silva with Lisbon TukTuk Tours by Lifonso. When I enquired about his personal tours, he gave me great recommendations on Évora and enticed me so much, I want to take a tour with him! He can accommodate up to 6 people on a tour to Évora (NOT in his Tuktuk).
Óbidos, Fatima, Tomar, Alcobaça
If you love cathedrals and medieval castles, you should definitely consider a day trip to one or several of these places. The Alcobaça Monastery and the Convent of Christ are UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural attractions. Óbidos has an amazing castle and wall plus the city is just so charming. All of these places can be day trips from Lisbon.
Lots of tour guides such as Sadik Anvarali will customise a tour just for you. The cool think about Sadik is that doesn’t take you on conventional tourist-made itineraries. He takes you on a journey as if you are a local and shows you the places that make the tour a unique experience.
I also recommend Targarela Tours because Andreia offers tours in places I have not seen advertised. Historic landmarks such as Mafra, Queluz, Ericeira, Santarém, and Abrantes are a much better experience with a local expert and Andreia knows these areas well. She even has an olive oil tasting tour!
Tours in Porto and Northern Portugal
Porto
Porto is another very hilly–more than Lisbon I think–city and somewhat tough to do a walking tour, but you can get a TukTuk to get you from one place to another quite easily. Porto City centre is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What better way to get to know it than to weave in and out of the narrow streets and colorful houses with a local guide.
We had a wonderful time with Miguel and Oporto Sensations tours. We took a Douro Valley Wine tour with them and it was wonderful! Full day tours include the Douro Valley, Ponte Lima and Vinho Verde tours, Braga and Gerês, and sardines in Matosinhos. Half day tours include Aveiro, beaches and surfing, Porto and port wines, and Fado.
While you are in Porto, make sure you take time to taste port wine. Port cellars are lined up along the Douro River on the Vila da Nova Gaia side and you can schedule tours with each of them. You can find more information about each one with my Port Cellars guide.
If you are looking for a unique wine experience, I recommend ML Private tours with Miguel. They don’t just offer Douro Valley Wine tours, but Vinho Verde, Dão, and Olive oil tours. Their tag line is “Wine is fun, rules are boring” so you know we love them!
Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro
There are many other sites outside of Porto that are worth seeing and Bruno Monteiro of Guided by Bruno is a great choice as a guide. Not only does he do a walking tour of Porto, but he takes people all around to places such as Guimarães, Bragança, and Braga as well as Coimbra, Aveiro, Santiago de Compostela, Fátima, Barcelos, Ponte de Lima, and Viana do Castelo. You, of course, cannot do all of these in one day, but Bruno can make sure that you see everything you want and you will have a great time!
Algarve Region
The Algarve is a whole different region in Portugal. Sometimes, it almost seems as though it is a separate part of the country. But it is also a fantastic place to visit, relax, and see the many natural beauties that Portugal has to offer.
We have only spent a week there and don’t know much about tours and tour guides, but as soon as we do, we will update this post.
More information about Portugal tours
This is of course is not the most extensive list of tour guides. There are many, many others out there but I wanted to include highly recommended private tours. I have also made a cheat sheet of private tours with websites, tour types and contact information if you want. All you have to do is click here!
Shelley is a full time traveler, blogger and podcaster currently living in Portugal with her wife, 2 dogs and a cat. She is a former history teacher originally from Winston-Salem, NC but wanted to see what life was like abroad. Now she travels all over Portugal and Europe writing about what she sees and does and tells you all kinds of fun stories on the podcast at Wandering Works for Us.