The season for this holiday is:
01 November 2019 - 24 December 2019
02 January 2020 - 24 December 2020
6 nights: 01 November 2019 - 24 December 2019 & 02 January 2020 - 24 December 2020
Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov - 18 Dec 2019 | £675 | £495 |
| 2 Jan - 29 Feb 2020 | £675 | £495 |
| 1 - 14 Mar 2020 | £695 | £530 |
| 15 - 27 Mar 2020 | £770 | £580 |
| 28 Mar - 26 Apr 2020 | £925 | £730 |
| 27 Apr - 11 Jun 2020 | £965 | £775 |
| 12 - 30 Jun 2020 | £925 | £730 |
| 1 Jul - 30 Aug 2020 | £895 | £735 |
| 31 Aug - 26 Oct 2020 | £965 | £785 |
| 27 - 31 Oct 2020 | £895 | £735 |
| 1 Nov - 18 Dec 2020 | £735 | £560 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | £0 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £0 |
Includes accommodation, meals, travel between hotels and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus a detailed information pack, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.
Included travel: rail Lisbon-Coimbra-Porto
Pay locally for travel from/to the airport
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.
Room upgrades (£ per person per night)
| Solar do Castelo, Lisbon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Superior 'Alfama': 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £20 | |
| Superior 'Alfama': 02 Jan - 14 Mar 2020 | £20 | |
| Superior 'Alfama': 15 Mar - 30 Jun 2020 | £28 | |
| Superior 'Alfama': 01 Jul - 31 Aug 2020 | £20 | |
| Superior 'Alfama': 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £28 | |
| Superior 'Alfama': 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £22 |
| Sapientia Boutique Hotel, Coimbra | ||
|---|---|---|
| Apartment: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £34 | |
| Apartment: 02 Jan - 31 Mar 2020 | £34 | |
| Apartment: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £42 | |
| Apartment: 01 Jul - 31 Oct 2020 | £50 | |
| Apartment: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £38 | |
| Junior suite: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £15 | |
| Junior suite: 02 Jan - 24 Dec 2020 | £15 | |
| 'Loft': 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £10 | |
| Superior: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £54 | |
| Superior: 02 Jan - 31 Mar 2020 | £54 | |
| Superior: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £60 | |
| Superior: 01 Jul - 31 Oct 2020 | £65 | |
| Superior: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £54 |
| Hotel Pestana Vintage Porto, Porto | ||
|---|---|---|
| 'Plaza': 01 Nov - 31 Mar 2020 | £10 | |
| 'Plaza': 01 Apr - 30 Apr 2020 | £12 | |
| 'Plaza': 01 May - 30 Jun 2020 | £14 | |
| 'Plaza': 01 Jul - 31 Oct 2020 | £14 | |
| 'Plaza': 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £12 | |
| 'Vintage' with river view: 01 Nov - 31 Mar 2020 | £34 | |
| 'Vintage' with river view: 01 Apr - 30 Apr 2020 | £45 | |
| 'Vintage' with river view: 01 May - 30 Jun 2020 | £50 | |
| 'Vintage' with river view: 01 Jul - 31 Oct 2020 | £48 | |
| 'Vintage' with river view: 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £34 |
Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room
| Solar do Castelo, Lisbon (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2019 | £68 | £126 |
| 02 Jan - 13 Mar 2020 | £68 | £126 |
| 14 Mar - 30 Jun 2020 | £95 | £174 |
| 01 Jul - 31 Aug 2020 | £74 | £138 |
| 01 Sep - 31 Oct 2020 | £104 | £190 |
| 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £78 | £146 |
| Hotel Pestana Vintage Porto, Porto (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Nov - 30 Mar 2020 | £98 | £188 |
| 31 Mar - 29 Apr 2020 | £125 | £240 |
| 30 Apr - 30 Jun 2020 | £140 | £272 |
| 01 Jul - 31 Oct 2020 | £152 | £294 |
| 01 Nov - 24 Dec 2020 | £110 | £208 |
Travelling from the UK
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen - Lisbon (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Aberdeen (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | Air France, KLM |
| Porto - Aberdeen (via Paris CDG) | Air France |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh - Lisbon | easyJet, Ryanair |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Edinburgh | Ryanair |
| Porto - Edinburgh (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Glasgow - Lisbon | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| London City - Lisbon | TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Gatwick - Lisbon | Air Europa, Azores Airlines (SATA), easyJet, TAP Air Portugal |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Gatwick | British Airways, easyJet, TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Heathrow - Lisbon | British Airways, TAP Air Portugal |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Heathrow (via Lisbon) | TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Manchester - Lisbon | easyJet, Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal |
| Manchester - Lisbon (via Frankfurt) | Lufthansa |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Manchester | easyJet, Ryanair |
| Porto - Manchester (via Brussels) | Brussels Airlines |
| Porto - Manchester (via Frankfurt) | Lufthansa |
| Porto - Manchester (via Lisbon) | TAP Air Portugal |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Newcastle - Lisbon (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Newcastle (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Porto - Newcastle (via Brussels) | Brussels Airlines |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Norwich - Lisbon (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Return route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Porto - Norwich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.
If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?
We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >
A lovely way to see three very different Portuguese cities. Highlights included the Castelo de Sao Jorge in Lisbon, the University of Coimbra (not to mention the book-themed hotel bedroom) and the port in Porto.
Thoroughly enjoyable holiday which surpassed our expectations, we had never been to Portugal beforehand. Choice of hotels was excellent with good service and the detail given in the guide to each area really helped us make informed decisions about what we wanted to see and do and how to get around without wasting time.
We really enjoyed this tour. Late February early March was an excellent time to travel as most things were not too busy but the weather was mostly good. The library at Coimbra was a highlight for us. But all three cities/towns are well worth visiting and we left Lisbon and Porto with more things to do!
A lovely way to see three very different Portuguese cities. Highlights included the Castelo de Sao Jorge in Lisbon, the University of Coimbra (not to mention the book-themed hotel bedroom) and the port in Porto.
Thoroughly enjoyable holiday which surpassed our expectations, we had never been to Portugal beforehand. Choice of hotels was excellent with good service and the detail given in the guide to each area really helped us make informed decisions about what we wanted to see and do and how to get around without wasting time.
We really enjoyed this tour. Late February early March was an excellent time to travel as most things were not too busy but the weather was mostly good. The library at Coimbra was a highlight for us. But all three cities/towns are well worth visiting and we left Lisbon and Porto with more things to do!
Porto was beautiful with the opportunity to visit Grahams for a tasting and tour of the cellars. A great way to see three fascinating cities with lots of heritage and interesting architecture.
We were impressed by the location of the hotels chosen for us. Highlights included Coimbra University and Lisbon Castle. We also enjoyed the recommended restaurants and tapas bars. Vinho Verde was a revelation, as was delicious white port in Porto.
We like walking and each hotel was in the perfect location for getting around on foot. Lots of up and down hills. Each one had something special and the room at the Pestana was the most special.
We used several of the restaurant recommendations, which were very helpful. The trip to Grahams Port was excellent and we had added value because of Inntravel.
We were glad that we had upgraded our room in the Hotel Pestana in Porto. The river view was wonderful and a huge part of our enjoyment of this delightful city.
Palaces and Pathways of Sintra consisted of lovely walks through a variety of scenery and which always ended in top class accommodation. The Convento de Sao Saturnino was a spectacular place to stay and definitely worth the long walk down, and consequently UP the following mornings. The Don Quixote bar above Sao Saturnino is a super place to stop for great views, sustenance and ambience!
On the Waterfront provided a contrast and all three cities, although completely different were fascinating. One of the many highlights was the Nucleo da Guitarra e do Fado de Coimbra which is housed in the Torre Alto, part of the city walls and is dedicated to fado music in Coimbra and the Portuguese guitar that accompanies it. However our favourite city was Porto which we feel is greatly under-rated and where we could have wandered happily for days!
INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Palaces & Pathways of Sintra walking holiday and our On the Waterfront Slow motion journey.
Magnificent food and the Portuguese people are very welcoming. Always monitor your flight details when using budget airlines.
An excellent holiday as always with your company.
Once again a perfectly executed trip by Inntravel ! We have come to the conclusion that walking vacations with Inntravel are the perfect European holiday. They lead us far from the hordes of tourists and lead us deep into the wonder of the country. Never could we have arranged such wonderful trips on our own.
The first time we have tried a 'Slow Motion' holiday and would certainly do so again. Peace and tranquility were found even in the large cities of Lisbon and Porto. The walking notes provided a good way to explore at one's own pace and were generally accurate in their timings. We especially liked the quiet and polite manner of the Portuguese.
When booking the monastery in Lisbon, either book online or go to the place next door which will sell you a ticket for both places. The queue is much shorter next door. You then jump the queue for the monastery saving you potentially one and a half hours. That queue did seem to be less in the afternoon.
If you have a rail ticket, say from Lisbon to Porto, you can use that ticket to travel on the aboveground train into Sao Bento at no further cost.
When returning from Porto to the airport using the Metro from Sao Bento be aware that you do have to change. It is not a direct line.
All the hotels were very comfortable and well appointed and the service was excellent. Sadly my husband and I were not very well on the holiday and we spent more time in the hotels than we normally would so our creature comforts were even more important than normal. The hotels you chose meant we managed to enjoy the holiday despite not always feeling our best - thank you! We will definitely be choosing Inntravel again.
Despite the appalling weather, this was a really good holiday with many highlights. In Lisbon, the castle is important because it sets the tone for the city. Our favourite in Lisbon was the secret behind the green door Casa Do Alentejo. When we were there. there was a soprano practising operatic arias in the top floor dining room, which was not being used, and it was magical. The cafe is rubbish but it is worth going up all floors on the stairs just to see it all. What a find!
In Coimbra, the Science Museum was interesting and fun and the tables in the Joanine Library were masterpieces. We loved the advice to keep your receipt, but it was so true! As stated before, the Sapientia is brilliant. The Monastery and Church of Santa Cruz justifies paying the little bit extra to go into the rooms behind the church.
In Porto, which we preferred to Lisbon as it is much less busy, we loved the Cafe Majestic, the Torre dos Clerigos (an essential climb), the Palacio do Bolsa, and being followed around the Casa Museu de Guerra Junqueiro (disconcerting, but a great museum!)
Personal highlights were the Britania Hotel in Lisbon with its exceptional art deco features, knowledgeable staff and history, especially if you have literary or historical interests. Lisbon, in general, we loved (especially walking through it from the beginning at the castle) and Coimbra was very atmospheric especially since we were lucky enough to be there for some of the student rituals in the streets involving giant spoons (very Harry Potter!) and of course the university library is extraordinary and not to be missed. The Botanical Garden is also very fine but has two entrances, and we took the one nearest the Sapienta hotel first and saw a lot of interesting trees... Porto is a rougher, less attractive city with a lot of building work and many rather grey churches. Jimao restaurant was outstanding here and the visit to Graham's Port Lodge was informative, elegant and relaxing - go to Graham's and avoid all the horrible, tacky developments around the other lodges along the river bank! And go to the puppet museum, which was such an unexpected pleasure and the famous bookshop with a wonderful ice cream cafe next door. All the food, without exception, was very good and reasonably priced, both when we followed the recommendations and took our own initiative. Inntravel staff were exceptionally helpful when we had to sort some of our travel arrangements out by phone and email while we were in Portugal.
We thought it was an excellent holiday. Everywhere very steep so well worth finding the lifts which were free in Lisbon. Would particularly recommend Terreiro restaurant in Porto if you like fish, and Claras em Castello restaurant in Lisbon is excellent. It's in the corner just below the arch to the castle area. Must book.
Another excellent short-break organised by Inntravel. All 3 locations had much to offer but Porto was our favourite. Having relatively cool (17C/7C) but very sunny weather was a bonus, especially for the city walks involved. Some points on the hotels in which we stayed - the basic room in the Hotel Sapienta is very minimalist and lacks even a chair to sit on although everything else was good. The rooms (even upgraded ones) in the Hotel Ribeira do Porto are extremely small but may be worth the compromise in terms of excellent location and reasonable price. The Hotel Britania is good but we were surprised at the very high rating provided by Tripadvisor (No 3 hotel in Lisbon) with numerous 5* reviews. Service in all three hotels was pleasant and efficient.
We were very pleased with the hotels, especially Solar do Castelo and the grounds of Quinta das Lagrimas. There's so much to see and do in Lisbon - perhaps a condensed version of the notes would help. The restaurant tips were very helpful. Perhaps it's better not to arrive in Porto on a Sunday, as we did - the crowds and noise are a bit of a shock after the elegance of Lisbon and Coimbra.
We loved Coimbra. Lisbon - there was too much to see in too short a space of time so you skate over everything and see very little of value. Porto was good, but there is not that much to see if you are not into port!
We had a fabulous holiday. We loved our time in all the cities - each had its own character. Lisbon was a revelation: so much to see and do. We explored many different districts, all with their own unique character. The Hotel Solar do Castelo was fantastic - our favourite hotel and in a unique position within the castle walls. Sadly the streets around the castle were very busy (although the hotel was in a quiet little street). One problem was getting the taxi to and from the hotel - such tiny streets with so many people. One taxi driver said that it was almost impossible to get near the hotel during July/August time. When we explored other parts of Lisbon we managed to get away from the tourists a bit and had a sense of Lisbon as a working city. Some fabulous squares, monuments, parks, buildings and cafes. Don't miss the Gulbenkian Museum - fabulous collection beautifully displayed.
Coimbra was the least touristy of the cities. However it had some old and interesting buildings including those in the university, churches, cathedral etc. The Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas was a lovely retreat on the edge of the city (although the centre of the city could easily be reached by walking). We really appreciated the fantastic swimming pools and grounds. The food and service were excellent.
The Hotel Pestana Porto definitely had the most stunning location of the three hotels. When we arrived we were amazed by the beautiful view across the river and our location couldn't have been more central and convenient. Our only issue was the crowds of people everywhere. Perhaps best to go in the winter months to have a quieter and less frenetic experience.
Restaurants are always going to come and go in and out of favour (or existence!) as we found with some of your recommendations. Our recommendation for Lisbon, near the Solar do Castelo was Farol de Santa Luzia which came recommended from the front desk. It was our first and actually best meal overall. We loved the honesty bar in the Lisbon hotel, and the open table to help yourself whenever you wanted (this included tea and coffee and cakes). And a lovely shady courtyard to recover in after a hot day.
We enjoyed free Fado everywhere. In Coimbra the Cafe Santa Cruz was a delight and had 2 Fado sessions each night at 6pm and 10pm. We had temperatures of 28 degrees, but the outdoor pool at the hotel in Coimbra was too cold to get in which was disappointing.
Porto had a delightful buzz all of its own with very nice restaurants literally around each corner from the hotel - the front desk gave us fab recommendations, but you do need to book. They also offered us the Red Bus hop on/hop off tickets to include a boat trip and a visit to a Lodge. We bought them - mistakenly as it turned out, and I definitely do not recommend this. The commentary on the bus was dreadful - very crackly so we could not hear a lot. It was a very repetitive route and took ages to get anywhere. The boat trip was fine. The visit to the Lodge was awful - it turned out to be just a tasting really, there was no cellar there or talk/video on wine production. And as we had left it till the last afternoon it was then too late to get into another Lodge, partly because we had waited for nearly an hour for our bus! And be warned that if you want to visit the Lello & Irmao Bookshop in Porto they charge 4 euros entrance fee; you have to buy a ticket and then join a queue.
This vacation was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed Lisbon and recommend the restaurant Farol de Santa Luzia at Largo Santa Luzia 5 across from Luzia viewpoint terrace. It is 10 minutes' walk from Hotel Solar do Castelo and serves excellent seafood. Coimbra was the highlight of the vacation and we wished we could have stayed a day longer. We enjoyed the restaurant at the hotel and also attended a Fado concert at the Fado ao Centro which was only 10 euros each and was at 5 p.m. We went to Taylor's in Porto and enjoyed a wonderful lunch in their restaurant on the patio with a stunnung view over Porto. We also found a great restaurant: Restaurante Adega Sao Nicolau at Rua Sao Nicolau 1 only 5 minutes' walk from the hotel which we highly recommend.
In Lisbon, eat upstairs at Chapito restaurant, super food and views. The Zambesi restaurant was advised but we were not impressed, it was African influenced food (Mozambique). I have been all over East/South Africa and have experience in that cuisine....perhaps we were unlucky with our choices, and the menu will lead to misunderstandings....which in my case led to a pretty verbal exchange with a very rude waitress! Both restaurants are very close to the Hotel.
We really enjoyed the whole holiday. The walking tours were an excellent means to discover and explore the three cities - despite our having some previous experience of Lisbon and Porto. All the walks inevitably had quite hilly sections - this didn't bother us but some guidance on the best ways to get from bottom to top may have helped. We probably should've taken taxis into the town centre in Coimbra - the fine dining option struck us as pricey and limited options. For Porto the options are numerous and nearby - it's easy enough to avoid the busy ones with the (wonderful) view of the bridge.
The itinerary was, on the whole, excellent giving a lot of useful information. All the hotels used were of a very good class and the breakfast in each was of a high standard. My favourite was the Solar Do Castelo in Lisbon. The situation of the hotel, the staff, the room, the service and breakfast were excellent. I would, without any doubt, use Inntravel again and I would recommend them to all my family and friends.
A superb insight to Portugal and 3 wonderful cities. Plenty to do in Lisbon and Porto and relax in Coimbra. Porto is stunning and was our favourite by far.
As usual the holiday was very well organised by Inn travel with their customary attention to detail and selection of comfortable hotels. We splashed out and had dinner at the restaurant in the Hotel das Lagrimas in Coimbra - although it no longer has its Michelin star the dinner and the service were faultless. We both really liked our visit to the university in Coimbra.
In Porto we particularly enjoyed a visit to the modern art museum (Serralves) set in beautifully kept grounds with impressive Eucalyptus trees and interesting outdoor sculpture. The art museum buildings are architecturally interesting in themselves. We had an excellent buffet lunch at a reasonable price.
After numerous walking holidays with Inntravel, this was our first Self-Guided Journey by Rail and we loved it. As usual, your choice of hotels are varied and excellent, along with concise information on travel and local places to visit. We will definitely be back again.