Culinary Journey Through Portugal & Morocco - 21 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Porto (Portugal), Foodie Experience

Olá and welcome to Porto, Portugal's second-largest city! Upon arrival, a private driver will be waiting to whisk you off to your hotel in the city center. Drop your bags and freshen up before you dive into Porto's rich culinary scene.

This afternoon you'll join a 3.5-hour walking tour of the historic downtown. A local guide will share a firsthand look at Porto's culinary renaissance, including the rebirth of specialty food shops and new restaurants adopting old methods. Stop at old-school, family-run businesses to taste simple, quality products and traditional Portuguese recipes made with love. Learn why these spots are an integral part of what makes gastronomy in Porto unique. Finish the experience with an introduction to Porto's famous drink, port wine, and taste three different styles.

Day 3: Day Trip to Douro Valley, Wine Tasting & River Cruise

Embark on a remarkable journey through the picturesque Douro Valley, where you'll explore traditional wineries, savor a delicious lunch at a renowned quinta (a country estate) and unwind on a scenic river cruise. A private driver will transfer you from the city streets to the vineyards and valleys of the famous wine region. You'll spend the day visiting traditional wineries and learning about the region's fascinating UNESCO-protected wine heritage. After a wine tasting at a magnificent vineyard, enjoy a traditional lunch at one of the valley's famous quintas.

Then it's time to hop aboard a traditional wine boat for an hour-long cruise down the tranquil Douro River. Relax and admire the beautiful scenery of the valley, where the vines roll down to the riverbank while sipping on a glass of port wine. At the end of the day, return to Porto, where you can spend your final evening in the city at leisure.

Day 5: Market Cooking Class, Free Time

You've been enjoying the delicious, rich, and seasonal dishes of Portugal, and now it's time to learn how to cook them. Today you'll join a local chef for a hands-on cooking experience. Learn to prepare a traditional three-course Portuguese meal with a fish dish, meat dish, and dessert. Before you pick up the tools, you'll explore a local market to source the freshest, in-season ingredients to work with. Lisbon, with its strong historical relationship with the sea, particularly stands out for its fish and seafood.

Return to the kitchen and start working on your Portuguese lunch with traditional recipes you can easily whip up again at home. End the class by sharing the feast you've prepared, along with wine, drinks, and coffee. The rest of the day is yours to explore Lisbon solo (and walk off your hearty lunch!). You could make your way over to Belém to explore the famous Torre de Belém and Jerónimos Monastery or get lost in the narrow, winding streets of the Alfama neighborhood and end the day at Portas do Sol lookout.

Day 6: Day Trip to Sintra: Wine Tasting & Sightseeing

Today you'll explore some of the oldest vineyards of Portugal in Colares, a small region where the unusually-deep sandy soil and salty ocean winds give the wines a strong, savory sea note. When the infamous phylloxera bug decimated vines across Europe in the mid-1800s, it couldn't reach the ramisco and malvasia grape varietals grown in sandy plots in Colares. Begin today's private tasting experience at one of the oldest and largest cellars in Portugal, where you'll taste iconic wines of this region, full of tradition.

Then enjoy a homely Portuguese lunch at a rustic restaurant in the historical center of Sintra before exploring the incredible Quinta da Regaleira. Lush gardens, lakes, mysterious dens, and enigmatic buildings surround this mystical and romantic palace. All of these places have hidden alchemical meanings, such as those evoked by the Freemasons, Knights Templar, and Rosicrucians. Return to Lisbon in the early evening.

Day 7: Transfer to Évora, Tasting Tour

This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, you'll be picked up for your 90-minute private transfer to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the cultural and gastronomic capital of the Alentejo region. Today's adventure is a delicious exploration of Évora's traditional treats and top sights. Your private tour begins with a deep dive into the city's beloved convent sweets and their centenarian secrets. Hear the origin stories and taste the famous baked goods as you wander the cobblestone streets.

Next, you'll sip extraordinary Alentejo wines. In this warm, dry region, the vines were first planted by the mysterious Tartessians civilization some 3,000 years ago. Later the Phoenicians perfected the art, and the Romans made it popular. Here in the Alentejo, locals have continued the ancient Roman practice of fermenting wine in huge clay pots. Continue the foodie adventure with a tasting of traditional smoked meats and cheeses from Évora with Alentejo bread, and conclude with an olive oil tasting.

Day 8: Cork & Olive Oil Jeep Safari

Swap cobblestones for countryside when you journey the iconic landscapes of the Alentejo on an off-road safari. The pace of life here slows as golden plains dotted with cork trees, olive groves, and whitewashed villages take over. Sitting in the back of a Jeep, you'll drive through a cork forest to learn about one of the few trees that can be harvested without cutting.

After, visit an olive oil farm to learn about the production and sample a variety of zesty, fresh olive oils. Stop for a traditional Alentejo lunch, where you'll have the chance to try regional dishes before returning to Évora. Use your free time to wander the compact, historic center and explore a city founded 2,000 years ago. If you've not already, connect with the past at Roman ruins, medieval churches, and the chilling 17th-century bone chapel, Capela dos Ossos.

Day 9: Transfer to the Algarve, Explore Lagos

After breakfast this morning, you'll take a private transfer from Évora to the Algarve. Your 2.5-hour drive south will land you in Lagos, a charming coastal destination with a walled Old Town, a pretty harbor, dramatic sandstone cliffs, beautiful beaches, authentic restaurants, and buzzing nightlife. While the Algarve is a popular destination for summer holidays, Lagos still retains its distinctive character and laid-back charm. Use the rest of the afternoon to laze on the nearby beaches, Meia Praia or Praia Dona Ana, or explore the historic center.

Day 11: Discover the Rural Algarve, Sagres Sunset Experience

Get off the beaten path today when you discover some of the western Algarve's most remarkable landscapes. Your guide will take you along remote, off-road routes, showing you a glimpse of the region's slower way of life, where locals produce honey and medronho (fruit brandy) using traditional methods. Venture up to Foia, the highest peak in the Algarve, for breathtaking 360-degree views, then stop for lunch high in the mountains, where you'll finish the meal with a sampling of deserts and a thimble of medronho and melosa (honey liqueur) while learning about rural traditions.

Later this evening, you'll visit the small, peaceful whitewashed village of Sagres and explore the most dramatic coastal scenery in the Algarve. Sagres feels like the end of the world today, so try to imagine how the Portuguese explorers felt during the country's Age of Discovery when they set sail from here to explore the uncharted world. As twilight approaches, go to Europe's most southwesterly point, Cabo de São Vicente. It's the perfect spot to watch the sun sink into the Atlantic Ocean while enjoying a glass of wine, bread, and chorizo.

Day 12: Fly to Marrakesh (Morocco), Street Food Tour

This morning you're destined for Marrakesh, "the Red City." Take a transfer to the Algarve airport in Faro for your flight to Morocco. On arrival, a driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Drop your bags and rest up before venturing out to explore the bustling city.

When night falls, venture to the central square of Jemaa el-Fna for an energetic and exciting food-focused evening in Morocco. Arrive with an empty stomach and open mind—this street food tour goes beyond Jemaa el-Fna, diving down streets and back alleys of the medina. Follow your guide to their favorite haunts, stopping to taste dishes only made there or at unassuming spots the locals have loved for 30 or more years. 

Day 13: Marrakesh Medina & City Tour

Enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast, then join a private guide to explore Marrakesh. Together you'll wind your way through the colorful and lively UNESCO World Heritage-listed medina (walled old town), visiting different artisan areas within the maze-like souks. You're sure to be dazzled by displays of brightly-colored djellabas (outer robes) and babouches (slippers), intricately-pierced lanterns, conical mounds of exotic spices, and the intense hubbub of medina life as your guide regales you with stories of the Red City.

Pause for a local lunch before continuing to see historic sites, such as the 19th-century Bahia Palace and the Saadian Tombs. You'll also explore Majorelle Gardens, the famous retreat built by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later inhabited by designer Yves Saint Laurent. Stroll through 2.5 acres (1 ha) of peaceful water gardens, visit Morocco's only museum dedicated entirely to Berber art and culture, and explore Yves Saint Laurent's gallery, all within the walls of this urban oasis.

Day 16: Transfer to Merzouga via Erfoud, Sunset Camel Ride

Return to the road today for a comfortable 4.5-hour private transfer to your Bedouin-style tent accommodation in Merzouga. You'll start early again to make a few cultural stops to meet desert communities in the Sahara. The first is Tinghir, a desert town with fantastic views of neighboring villages set along an extensive river oasis with 30 miles (48 km) of palm trees. Visit Ali Ait el Haj, the old Jewish quarter, and admire its interesting architecture. Continue to the 984-foot-high (300 m) Todra Gorge to walk through the red-stained limestones or relax in the cool shallow water.

Just before reaching Erfoud, you'll start to see the ever-shifting Saharan dunes. Erfoud is a busy market town known for its Date Festival, fossil mining, and artisan factories. Visit a local collective to see how fossil-rich rock is turned into beautiful objects like tables, plates, and bowls. Near Merzouga, take a short break to enjoy a camel ride through the dunes before you reach your luxury desert camp just before sunset. Settle in, then climb up the nearest dune to watch the sunset display its color show across the sands. Back at camp, enjoy dinner, a campfire, and traditional Berber music.

Day 18:Transfer to Midelt via Rissani, Errachidia & the Middle Atlas

This morning, with a private driver, you'll make tracks for Rissani, a town known for its livestock auction and as the birthplace of the current Alawi dynasty. To the right of the Ksar Aber, a 19th-century fortress, you can find the tomb of its founder, Moulay Ali Cherif, behind a monumental door covered in green ceramics and crowned by a dome. Continue on to Erfoud again, stopping for panoramic views at the oasis of Aoufous. Later, pass through Errachidia, known as the military city. You'll pause at the impressive Hassan Adakhil Dam to take photos. 

The,n next to the Ziz River, you'll enjoy the beautiful scenes of the Ksours and Ziz gorges and pass through the Legionary Tunnel (Zaabal). The journey continues through the Middle Atlas, where you'll cross the Tizi N'Talghom pass at 6,256 feet (1,907m). Finally, after four hours on the road, you'll arrive in Midelt, a handy pause between the desert and Fes. Check into your hotel and relax for the evening.

Day 19: Transfer to Fes via Azrou & Ifrane

After breakfast, the journey to Fes continues with a 3.5-hour private transfer. Enjoy the wonderful views of snowcapped peaks on the way to Azrou, a Berber city once populated by the Zenayas, nomadic shepherds who moved from the peaks of the Atlas in summer to the valleys of Meknes in winter. Stop here to explore the city and enjoy a local lunch. After, you'll have the opportunity to see the famous 800-year-old tree called Cedre Gouraud and meet the monkeys in the cedar forest. 

Continue to Ifrane, "The Switzerland of Morocco." This city shows how Morocco is a country of contrasts. View the stone lion, a stone sculpture dedicated to the Lion of the Atlas, one of the cats that lived in this area and that has become the emblem of the city. Visit the University of Akhawayn (Two Brothers), the most important in the country, before finally reaching Fes, the country's cultural and spiritual heart and the oldest of Morocco's four Imperial Cities. 

Day 21: Depart Fes

It's time to say goodbye to Portugal and Morocco. If you have time before your flight today, do some last-minute shopping to pick up spices, slippers, and souvenirs. At the designated time, a driver will pick you up at your hotel for the 25-minute transfer to Fes Sais International Airport for your flight home. Safe travels!

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Portugal? Check out these other Portugal itineraries, explore different ways to spend three weeks in Portugal and Morocco, or discover the best time to visit Portugal.