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

The Praça do Comércio square in Lisbon, Portugal seen from above.

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


Half-day Walking Tour of Lisbon

Duration: 4 hours

Cost: $290 USD + $18 USD per person

Price includes: Your guide, 24-hour transit cards, 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 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


A Taste of Lisbon

A tray of Portugal's famous Pastel de Nata pastries

Duration: 4 hours

Cost: $290 USD + $18 USD per person

Price includes: Your guide, 24-hour transit card, 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 Half-day Walking Tour

Portugal Tour Guide Ana Sofia in front of the Torre de Belem in Lisbon, Portugal

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


Sintra and Cascais Half-day Tour

The Santa Maria Lighthouse and House Museum in Cascais, Portugal

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

There’s no better way to spend a half day than exploring the crown jewels of the Lisbon area, Sintra and Cascais. On this tour, we’ll take in the “Mystic Mountain” (Sintra) and marvel at the rocky coast of the Portuguese Riviera, seeing two totally different areas and landscapes.

We’ll head out from Lisbon and will cruise along the scenic coastal road until we reach the beautiful seaside resort town of Cascais. Here, we’ll soak up the laid-back, beach vibes and will wander past the the impressive summer houses of the Portuguese well-to-do (both past and present). We’ll also get a feel for the glamour at the Queen’s Beach.

From there, we’ll move on to the World Heritage Site of Sintra, a lovely town that’s filled with palaces and castles. We’ll have a look at the National Palace (from the outside), go for a wander through town, getting a taste for the charming atmosphere, and will make our way a little outside it to see some of the gardens and beautiful scenery.

After touring Sintra, we’ll hop back in the car and will head back to Lisbon.


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

The Ribeira waterfront in Porto, Portugal seen from a boat on the Douro River

Duration: 8 hours

Cost: $1,080 USD + $7 per person

Price includes: Your guide, private driver, audio devices

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.