Private Guided Tours of Portugal with Ana Sofia
Ana Sofia is a born and raised Lisboeta (Lisbon resident) who has been guiding all over Portugal for more than 20 years.
A National Accredited Guide, she spent two decades working countrywide and leading multi-day trips, before deciding to focus more closely on her native region of Lisbon and south-central Portugal a few years ago.
All of her tours can be completely customized to you and your group, your interests, and your travel style. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, let Ana Sofia know and you can create something totally custom together!
Half-day, full-day, and multi-day tours everywhere in Portugal
Pick-up and drop-off anywhere you want to go
Full door-to-door service
Transportation in a comfortable 6-seater van
All tours are private and fully customizable
Half-day Driving Tour of Lisbon
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: $560 USD
Price includes: Your driver-guide, round-trip transportation
Max participants: 6
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
Only have a short time in Lisbon and want see as much of the city as possible? Then this is the perfect tour for you!
A bit of a whirlwind tour, we’ll have a private driver whisking us between sights so that we don’t lose even a second. It’s pure leisure and luxury!
We'll start by visiting the east side of Lisbon, which today is the most modern part of the city and is still known for hosting the World Exhibition in 1998.
As we head on to other parts of the city, you'll notice the stark contrast between neighborhoods, especially around the port, which is being transformed into a hub for vibrant new businesses.
Next up is the historic city center, where we’ll see lovely and atmospheric Alfama, busy Baixa, and refined Chiado.
From there, we’ll head out of the center to Bélem, to see the monuments and landmarks from the era of the Portuguese Discovervies.
Tour highlights: Parque das Nacoes, former Expo 98, East Side of Lisbon, historic center and downtown (Alfama and Baixa), Avenidas Novas neighborhood, Belém District
Highlights & Hidden Gems of Lisbon
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: $290 USD + $7 USD per person
Price includes: Your guide, Whisper headsets
Max participants: 10
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
The perfect introduction to Lisbon, this walking tour will help you get your bearings within the city while covering our most central neighborhoods and many of the the city’s main sights and landmarks.
The day’s plan is quite flexible and the order of our stops doesn’t especially matter, but I typically like to arrange it as follows:
We’ll start in the impressive Praça dos Restauradores square, from where we’ll make our way over to the Gloria funicular, one of Lisbon’s oldest means of transportation. We’ll ride the funicular up the hill, from where we’ll enjoy the incredible views at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint.
Here, we’ll head inside the lovely São Roque church, and will then begin to make our way down into the elegant Chiado area, first wandering through the Bairro Alto neighborhood. In Chiado, we’ll see Camões Square, the Brasileira Coffee shop, and the Bertrand bookstore, the oldest in the world!
We’ll next cross over into Baixa, our bustling downtown, and will explore the neighborhood. There’s lots to see, but the marquee sight is Rossio Square, lined with restaurants, cafés, and monuments.
Alfama awaits us next, so we’ll hop on the bus and catch a ride over to the Portas do Sol viewpoint. After enjoying the views, we’ll weave our way through Alfama’s labyrinthine streets, enjoying the atmosphere in Lisbon’s oldest and prettiest neighborhood.
Finally, we’ll end the tour down by the water in Lisbon’s grandest square: the Praça do Comércio.
Tour highlights: Alfama, Baixa, and Chiado, Praça dos Restauradores, Portas do Sol and Sāo Pedro viewpoints, Comércio and Rossio Squares, Gloria Elevator
Tastes of Lisbon Food Tour
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: $290 USD + $7 USD per person
Price includes: Your guide, Whisper headsets
Not included: Approximately 30 euros per person for all food and drink tastings
Max participants: 10
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
Portugal is a food lover’s paradise and this tour will introduce you to some of the best food and flavors that Lisbon has to offer, all while showing you the city as well.
This tour has been designed to be the ideal hybrid sightseeing and culinary experience, so we’ll make stops throughout at many of Lisbon’s main sights, streets, and landmarks, touring the best of the city center while feasting on local specialties.
In no particular order, here’s where we’ll go and what we’ll eat:
We’ll enjoy a cherry liqueur in Rossio Square
Get energized with coffee and a pastry at the Portas do Sol Viewpoint
Head to Commerce Square for some Port Wine and a Rissol (a breaded pastry shaped like a half-moon, usually filled with fish or shrimp in Béchamel sauce and then deep fried)
Load up on carbs in the Chiado Quarter where we’ll try freshly made croissants with chocolate or strawberry jam and sip on fresh juices. If you feel like savory instead of sweet, bread with olives and chorizo is an alternative.
Onward to Figueira Square for a Bifana and beer (pork or steak sandwich) or to Time Out Market for the final meal of our tour.
Belém Monuments Walking Tour
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: $290 USD +$7 per person
Price includes: Your guide, Whispear headsets
Not included: Approximately 20 euros per person for Coach Museum entrance tickets
Max participants: 10
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
After Lisbon’s city center, Belém is the other heart of Portuguese history, where you can feel and see Portugal’s glory as well as its fall from power.
A visit to Belém is simply mandatory when in Lisbon, and if you’re looking to go beyond the highlights and want to really dig deeper into Portugal’s history, especially during the Age of Discovery, this is the tour for you. In just 4 hours, we’ll cover a huge amount of history, all while exploring one of the loveliest parts of Lisbon.
To begin the tour, we’ll meet at the airplane monument near the iconic Belém Tower. We’ll see the tower and learn about its significance, and will then walk along the waterfront to the Monument to the Discoveries, one of Belém’s other most important sites.
Next, we’ll cross over to the enormous and incredibly impressive Jeronimos Monastery, which we’ll view from the outside. We’ll skip the Monastery cloisters because of the long lines, but will head inside the adjacent church, which is also lovely.
After the Monastery, we’ll refuel with a delicious little snack of Pastel de Nata, before continuing on to the National Coach Museum, where we’ll tour their magnificent collection of extravagant royal horse-drawn carriages.
Highlights:
Tower of Belém, Discoveries Monument & World Map, Pastel de Nata de Belém, Jeronimos Monastery (outside only), Jeronimos church, Carriages Museum
Day Trip to Sintra and Cascais
Duration: 8 hours
Cost: $790 USD + $23-$37 per person per palace entrance tickets
Price includes: Your guide, private driver, round-trip transportation, palace entrance tickets
Not included: Lunch
Max participants: 5
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
Lisbon's most popular day trip, a visit to Sintra and Cascais is a perennial favorite.
On this full-day tour, we’ll take in the beautiful mountain town of Sintra and its iconic castles and palaces. While here, we'll go for a wander through town, getting a taste for the charming atmosphere, and will visit a palace or two and then make outside of town to see some of the gardens and beautiful scenery.
Afterwards, we'll ride along the rocky coast of the Portuguese Riviera on our way to the seaside resort town of Cascais, long a favorite of the Portuguese royalty and well-to-do Lisbon locals. Here, we’ll soak up the laid-back beach vibes and will wander past all the impressive summer mansions.
Time permitting, we'll also cruise past (and make a quick stop) at the rocky promontory of Cabo da Roca, mainland Europe's westernmost point. Finally, on the way back to Lisbon, we’ll do a scenic coastal drive past Estoril, famous for its casino and espionage history.
In/around Sintra, you can choose to visit the following palaces:
Pena Palace
Quinta da Regaleira
Monserrate
National Palace of Sintra
Queluz Palace (on the way to Sintra)
If you want to visit 2 palaces during the tour, that can be done, but it will take time away from the other stops and may alter the itinerary.
Full-day Tour of Belém and Sintra
Duration: 8 hours
Cost: $790 USD + $25 USD per person for National Palace entrance tickets
Price includes: Your guide, private driver, round-trip transportation, Palace tickets, Whisper headsets
Not included: Approximately 30 euros per person for lunch and snacks
Max participants: 5
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
If you’ve already explored downtown Lisbon and are ready to go a bit further afield, this jam-packed day will take you to two of the most wonderful destinations in/around Lisbon: Belém, with its iconic seafaring monuments, and fairy-tale like Sintra, a palace-filled gem nestled in the Serra de Sintra mountains.
To start the day, I’ll pick you up at your accommodation and we’ll set off for Belém, about 15 minutes from central Lisbon.
In Belém, we’ll make quick visits to both the Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, and will drive past the Monument to the Discoveries. Of course, no visit to Belém would be complete without a Pastel de Nata, so we’ll stop along the way for one of those essential local treats.
After we’ve finished sightseeing in Belem, it’s time to continue on to Sintra, one of the quintessential and, dare I say, obligatory day trips from Lisbon.
Our tour in Sintra will start with a visit to the National Palace, which we’ll explore for around an hour. It should be lunchtime by the time we’re finished, so we’ll then head for a nice meal at a local restaurant.
Following lunch, we’ll enjoy a leisurely walking through the town, during our walk, we’ll catch some great views of the Moorish Castle and will stop for pictures of the Pena and Regaleira Palaces (but won’t go inside).
Finally, we’ll hop back in the car to return to Lisbon, dropping you off at your accommodation or anywhere else in the city if you’d like to continue your adventure.
Lisbon to Porto Tour and Transfer
Duration: 8 hours
Cost: $1,080 USD + $7 per person
Price includes: Your guide, private driver, Whisper headsets
Not included: Approximately 20 euros per person for University of Coimbra entrance tickets (if you choose to visit)
Max participants: 5
Note: All tours are private (only you and your group)
Cancellation Policy: Read our full terms here
The drive from Lisbon to Porto is long, over 3 hours, but the area between these two great cities is filled with fantastic places to visit. So if you’re looking for more than just transportation and want to turn the drive into a real tour, this is an excellent option.
To make the most of the day and to break up the drive, we’ll make various stops, which you can choose between:
We can visit Coimbra, a sizable and lively riverside city that’s home to the University of Coimbra. Here, we’ll take a walking tour of the city and will visit the University’s beautiful grounds and library.
Alternatively, you can choose to visit a combination of either Óbidos or Fátima, followed by the little city of Aveiro.
Óbidos is a charming medieval town entirely surrounded by high walls. If you choose to visit here, we’ll take a nice walking tour and will explore its main sights.
Fátima, on the other hand, is an important religious sit where you can visit the chapels and monuments of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
Whichever of those you choose to visit, the next stop is Aveiro, about 1.5 hours north from either. Often called Portugal’s Venice, Aveiro is a lovely town of colorful fishermens’ houses and canals, which we’ll explore. We can also have lunch here.
From Aveiro, we’ll hop back in the car and continue another hour on to Porto, dropping you off right in front of your hotel.
Custom Tours
Looking for something a bit different?
All of Ana Sofia’s tours can be fully customized to you, your interests, and travel style. If you’d like something totally unique, you can work one-on-one with Ana Sofia to co-create a one of a kind tour.
To get started, request a custom tour below and provide us some initial ideas about what you’re looking for. Ana Sofia will then reach out to you directly to start planning your tour together.