A Honeymoon in Portugal
A honeymoon to Portugal will leave you with a spectacular overview of this unsung destination on the Iberian Peninsula. Start in the picturesque city of Lisbon visiting the fascinating neighborhoods and world-renowned restaurants the city offers. From here, venture north to the town of Porto with a quick jaunt into the wine region of the Douro Valley where fantastic hiking, biking, and kayaking opportunities await. Bookend your honeymoon in the Azores, finding yourselves in pure tranquility as you explore the lush green vegetation, reminiscing about your first big adventure together as partners in life.
Lisbon | Mid-July | Verride Palácio Santa Catarina
Douro Valley | Mid-July | Quinta de Sao Bernardo
Azores | Late-July | Santa Barbara
Please find the phone number below for our in-country partner should you have any immediate itinerary changes or questions while on-the-ground in Portugal. Additionally, you'll find the contact information for the scenset and your travel curator:
- Itinerary Manager: +351914468722
- Scenset Emergency Contact Number: will be provided
- Your Travel Curator: will be provided
- US passport holders do not require tourist visas for EU countries.
- Ensure that your passport is valid for 6 months past your return date.
Please check these sites prior to your departure for updated information:
Tipping is always appreciated, though not obligatory. For drivers, we generally suggest a tip depending on the duration of the transfer. For guides, we recommend a tip for half day experiences or a tip for full day experiences.
In many restaurants a service charge is included in the bill, and tips, while appreciated, are not required. Tips, when given, tend to be 5 to 10% of the bill. In a café or tapas bar normally only a few coins are left.
Upon arrival in Lisbon, proceed through immigration, baggage claim, and customs before meeting your driver in the arrivals hall for a private transfer to your hotel in Lisbon.
Driver Name: will be provided
Driver Contact: will be provided
When arriving by car, the driver will need a code to access the street the hotel is on. The code for the date of your arrival is 752 900. If you have any issues, please call the hotel at +351 21 157 3055.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world, although it was practically rebuilt from scratch after a 1755 earthquake. The only neighborhood to survive was the Alfama district, where cobbled streets and the sounds of fado music recall a nostalgic past. Throughout the rest of Lisbon, new restaurants and bars continue to reinvent the seaside city, often by serving modern takes on traditional tasca cuisine like fresh seafood, seasonal produce, and local wine.
Verride Palácio Santa Catarina is a renovated historic Palace in the heart of Lisbon, one of the most exciting cities in Europe. The hotel has 19 comfortable rooms and suites, sophisticated common areas, and their restaurant SUBA with a Rooftop bar where you will feel immersed in a breathtakingly beautiful 360º view of the old town and the Tagus River. All rooms and suites are designed to be comfortable and also chic, modern as well as royal. In each room, you will find rich atmospheres, lovely colors, exquisite details, but the same comfort, good vibes, and most of all, the quietness you deserve to begin a new day or to perfectly end another. As you contemplate the city from your window, you will feel the warm light that fills the space to bring you energy.
Bica Room
Confirmation Number: will be provided
Inclusions:
- Daily breakfast
- City tax
Meet up with your private guide as you explore the streets of Lisbon. Your guide will help you become acquainted with the rich cultural history of this city on seven hills.
- Visit Saint George's Castle. Located at one of the highest points of the city, it offers some of the best views of Lisbon.
- Continue to Baixa, an area that became the heart of Lisbon after its destruction in the 1755 earthquake. The Marquês de Pombal took it upon him to have avenues and plazas created and laid out within a grid plan.
- Continue to the enchanted Chiado and visit the famous Elevador de Santa Justa, a remarkable iron elevator built in the late 19th century.
- Go the Alfama district, the unmistakable soul of the capital. Alfama unfolds through a charming network of slender cobbled streets, with charming traditional old houses and many of Lisbon’s most important historic buildings.
Pick-up Time: Afternoon
Pick-up Location: Hotel lobby
Guide Contact: will be provided
Inclusions:
- Entrance at Saint George Castle, ride on the Santa Justa Elevator or equivalent
Immerse yourself in the local culture with this intimate gastronomic experience. Led by a professional chef, you'll learn the secrets to authentic Portuguese cooking before enjoying the meal you've just prepared!
Start Time: Evening
Transportation from your day of touring to the cooking class venue will be arranged.
Dietary preferences and allergies will be accommodated, and the menu will be tailored accordingly.
With your private guide, transfer to Sintra for the day. This charming town in the foothills of the Serra de Sintra has long been a favorite destination of Portuguese royalty, and it’s known for its many whimsical palaces and villas – including the Palácio Nacional de Sintra and the magical garden of Quinta da Regaleira.
The drive to Sintra is approximately 45 minutes. You will return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Please note that the palaces of Sintra will be quite crowded due to the travel season and there will likely be wait times for entry.
Pick-up Time: Morning
Pick-up Location: Hotel lobby
Guide Contact: will be provided
Inclusions: Entrance feeds to Regaleira + Palacio Pena Palace
You have a dinner reservation this evening at JNcQUOI Avenida.
Time: Evening
Reservation Name: will be provided
Address: Av. da Liberdade 182 184, 1250-146 Lisboa
Phone: +351 21 936 9900
The restaurant is a short taxi ride from your hotel. We suggest using Uber or arranging a taxi directly with the Front Desk. The reservation has a maximum 2-hour stay at the restaurant and a 15-minute grace period on your arrival.
Dietary restrictions have already been communicated. The kitchen will be taking the necessary precautions to prevent cross-contamination.
After breakfast and check-out, meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel in the Douro Valley with stops along the way.
Meeting Point: Hotel lobby
Meeting Time: Late morning
This transfer is approximately 4.5 hours excluding stops.
On your way to the Douro Valley, stop in the university town of Coimbra for a bit of sightseeing and lunch!
You will arrive in Coimbra around midday. Lunch is to be paid for directly. You will be meeting with your guide.
On the banks of the river Mondego, Coimbra is famous for its University, the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe, which over time has shaped its image to become "the city of students".
The university founded in the 13th Century was made into a World Heritage site by UNESCO in a classification that also includes Rua da Sofia and the upper part of the city. It's well worth climbing its tower, which houses the bells that signal the start and end of classes, in order to appreciate the superb 360º view of Coimbra. But there is much to see at ground level, too: the Pátio das Escolas courtyard, the Sala dos Capelos hall where the most important ceremonies are held, the Chapel of São Miguel with an imposing Baroque organ and the Joanine Library, which has more than 300,000 works dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries arranged in beautiful gilt-covered bookcases. The buildings occupy the place of the Palace where the first Kings of Portugal lived, when they made the city the capital of the kingdom.
There are several monuments from those times that display the splendor of Romanesque art. In the shopping area and area of historic cafés in the City Centre, visitors really must see the Monastery of Santa Cruz, which houses the tomb of the first King of Portugal, and on the other bank, the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, recovered and rescued from the waters of the river that invaded it over the centuries.
You have a lunch reservation this afternoon after your walking tour at No Tacho.
Time: Afternoon
Reservation Name: will be provided
Address: R. da Moeda 20, 3000-282 Coimbra
Phone: will be provided
Dietary preferences and a gluten allergy have already been communicated. The kitchen will be prepared to accommodate.
You will depart Coimbra in the afternoon, arriving into the Douro Valley in the early evening.
Drinking Port wine in Porto is as unforgettable an experience as drinking Champagne in Paris, but just like venturing out into the Champagne region of France, it’s worth going to the scenset. That would be the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley, best known for its fortified Port wines, although you’ll also taste red, white, and even green wines. River cruises are the ideal way for traveling between wineries or quintas, taking in the views with a glass in hand.
Quinta de S.Bernardo - Winery and Farmhouse is a boutique hotel located in the Douro region, devoted to wine tourism and a farm to table experience. The building was born from a centenary family farmhouse that dates from 1912 and was completely restored while keeping the family spirit alive through details and decoration. With a total of 7 rooms of which 5 with river views and 2 have partial vineyards view. An organic garden respects seasons, and there's an infinity pool overlooking the Douro River where guests can enjoy relaxed moments in the oldest wine-producing region in the world.
Superior Double Room with Bathtub
Confirmation Number: will be provided
Inclusions:
- Daily breakfast
There is no need to pre-book dinner in advance as the hotel works with a fixed menu that changes daily. The hotel staff will always inform guests on the morning-of what the menu will be for that night and proceed with the reservation. The menu includes a starter, a main course with a choice of fish, meat or vegetarian, and a dessert. Dinner is served every day, in the evening.
The only dinner that is recommended to book in advance is the Greenhouse dinner, which is their chef's 8-course tasting menu, served in their Greenhouse by the pool. This dinner can either be with other guests in a common table or you can alternatively book privately, if available. Dinner starts daily in the evening.
Sailing on the Douro River is one of the most remarkable experiences when visiting the region. From the jetty in Ferrão or in Ferrão Sul, enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Douro accompanied by wine tasting and sampling of regional delicacies aboard a luxury boat.
You will meet your driver to get to the embarkation point in the lobby of your hotel in the afternoon.
Inclusions: welcome drink, lemonade, white wine, roasted almonds, olives and cheeses.
Departure Time: 3:00pm
Duration: 2 hours
After the boat ride, you will meet your driver back at the dock for a transfer back to the hotel.
After breakfast and check-out, you will transfer to the Porto Airport on your own. We suggest utilizing the train into Porto and the Front Desk at your hotel can assist with making arrangements.
Meeting Point: Hotel lobby
Meeting Time: Afternoon
Driver: will be provided
Driver Contact: will be provided
If Iceland and Hawaii were to have children: this string of 9 volcanic islands would be it. This most western point of Europe is full of lush forests, natural thermal pools, waterfalls. The opportunities to explore beautiful landscapes abounds and their strong outdoor culture is unsurprising. They are also trailblazers in sustainable tourism, the archipelago is considered one of the greenest destinations in the world, protecting not just natural wonders, but also a way of life (wine, honey, pineapple, and various cheeses enjoy protected status here).
It began in 2015, with a passion for the natural black beaches along the picturesque northern coast of São Miguel in the Azores: the unique, almost magical, green pastures and mountain hues that contrast with the azure blue oceans are the ideal backdrop for a calming resort retreat. It was here, overlooking the grand beach of Santa Barbara, that the Azores’ first ecologically-friendly eco-beach resort was opened. Their inviting natural coastal landscape, the elegance of their modern luxury spaces and their commitment to a full-range of experiences epitomizes their passion for the art of hospitality, nature and, above all, the Azores.
Blue and Green Studio
Confirmation Number: will be provided
Inclusions:
- Daily breakfast
This morning, get out into the jungles of São Miguel during a hike to some of the hidden waterfalls with a local guide.
The initial section of the hike will take you down to the small but quaint village of Faial da Terra. Then, it’s time to follow a canyon until you reach a beautiful secluded waterfall. On your way back, you will hike across the old village of Sanguinho, a truly unique place.
Meeting Time: Morning
Meeting Point: Hotel Lobby
Duration: 6-7 Hours (Full-day)
Difficulty: Medium
Inclusions: Guide, transfers, insurance, light meal.
We recommend bringing a backpack, light jacket and water. This activity may be changed or canceled due to bad weather or if other conditions compromise its safety.
You have a couple's massage scheduled for today. Please meet at the spa cabana at the scheduled time. The Front Desk can assist you with any questions you may have.
Treatment: Deep Tissue
Nº of people: 2
Duration: 90 min
Time: Evening
Payment Policy:
- 100% payment upon check-out.
Cancellation Policy:
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the date of the activity
- Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the date of the activity will be 100% in charge.
Booked by scenset
Whether you want to lay back and relax on the water or spend your last day exploring, you can read more on the menu of experiences available at your hotel here.
After breakfast and check-out, make your own way to the Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL) for your international flight home. The Front Desk at Santa Barbara can assist in arranging a taxi for this transfer.
We recommend departing the hotel in the early morning to get you to the airport 2 hours in advance for your international flight. The drive is approximately 20 minutes.
Scenset invests in making the world a better place. Scenset will offset the fuel used during the trip. On top of that, an extra 10% will be offset to make your trip a carbon-positive experience.
Currently, we support Gold Standard Climate+ Projects from the Gold Standard Foundation.