Details

Trip Notes & Expectations

ACCOMMODATION

Our program fees are based on double-occupancy accommodation (see "Single Travelers" below if you do not have a travel companion and would be interested in a private room). Our accommodations are chosen to provide a safe, conveniently located place to sleep. While you may be pleasantly surprised, please don't expect luxury, as we prioritize keeping our programs affordable. Important: Single room accommodations in European hotels are often smaller, and may not be to the same service level as double-occupancy rooms.

LUGGAGE

In Europe it can be rare to find elevators in train stations, hotels or other public places. We use public transport on this trip, which means you will need to carry your luggage from platform to platform, in and out of trains and buses etc. and also possibly up several flights of stairs. You will also need to be able to stow your luggage safely on trains and buses. It is essential, therefore, that you pack light and bring luggage which is compact and lightweight, and which you can easily transport. The carrying of your luggage remains your responsibility at all times.

TRANSPORTATION

This trip uses a mix of public and private transportation that gets our guests from location to location safely. Sometimes you will have full days and nights of transportation as our trips tend to cover a lot of ground. The transportation will often be an adventure in itself.

FREE TIME

This program has quite a bit of free time in each location, with few activities included as part of the tour. This allows participants to choose how to spend their time exploring each destination. Your group leader is available to help with plans. For ideas, check the “Optional Activities” section at the bottom of this page.

RESERVE IN ADVANCE

If you would like to visit any of the sites below, we highly recommend booking in advance. — Lello Bookstore (Porto): livrarialello.pt/en — Palacio da Bolsa (Porto): palaciodabolsa.com — Clerigos Tower (Porto): torredosclerigos.pt/en — Porto Ribeira Cruise (Porto): Douro Azul, other local providers, or Viator

ORIENTATION WALKS

The orientation walking tours on this trip are often on cobblestone roads at steep grades and can last several hours. Feel free to opt-out of these walking tours, if you wish to move at a slower pace. In some cases, on the other side of the coin, they may move a bit too slow for you. If you have a map, a travel app, or a guidebook, feel free to go off on your own. GEEO wants you to have the experience you desire, and sometimes that means separating yourself from the group. We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.

ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE

This trip is moderately-paced and involves significant walking. You will cover a lot of ground in a short time, with early starts and multiple travel days. The group will follow a structured itinerary, but there is always the option to break away to go at your own pace during free time. You should be prepared for extensive walking in all cities. Portugal is especially hilly, and there are a lot of uneven cobblestone streets. There are times where you must carry your luggage short distances and get on and off transportation. You should feel comfortable walking for extended periods and navigating varied terrain. Comfortable, supportive footwear is essential. We recommend always carrying snacks and water, as meals can be spaced out.

LOCAL GUIDES

In Europe, all guiding is based around local guides, all of whom are licensed to work only in a particular city. As such, our leaders are able to provide orientation walks that will show you the layout of each town and city, as well as the location of local services such as post offices and laundromats, but are unable legally to share historical facts and figures in public places. Your tour leader will be able to help you find a local guided tour in each location if you would like one.

GROUP LEADER

All GEEO/G Adventures trips are led by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight—giving you the best of both worlds.

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PROGRAM DETAILS

Single Travelers

Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same. Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion. Want a private room? Most trips offer a “My Own Room” (single-supplement) upgrade. Check the price in the Extra Services section, then email travel@geeo.org to reserve it. You pay the single-supplement only if you request it.

Emergency Contacts

If you need urgent help during your trip, call the local G Adventures office first. If no one answers, leave a detailed message with your name and contact information so they can return your call as soon as possible. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS: G Adventures UK office (weekdays 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. GST): +44 20 7243 9870 For absolute emergencies after office hours please contact: +44 7817 262 559 If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you. Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100 Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000 Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000 Calls from Australia: 1300 796 618 Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307 Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999

Packing List

See our blog post of staff recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel. As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling. *Laundry: Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge. You can also use a local laundromat, if necessary.

Passports and Visas

Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries. 

• → Read GEEO's Guidance for Europe (detailed instructions with official links and resources)

PASSPORT  All travelers must have a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps. Need to apply or renew? Start here. ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS  Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.  Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.

Money Exchange

Currency: Portugal is part of the Eurozone and uses the common currency, the euro (EUR). For current exchange rates, visit www.xe.com. Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel. Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected. Emergency Funds: Bring at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling. See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance. For more advice, see our post, Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad

Tipping

Tipping is optional but appreciated and goes a long way for the people who look after you on the trip. If you are happy with the service, use these ballpark amounts and adjust as you see fit: - Service providers/Waiters: €1-2 EUR for snacks or 10% of the bill. - Local guides and drivers: €3-5 EUR per person per day. - G Adventures tour leader (CEO): €30-40 EUR per person per week. (We suggest pooling contributions in an envelope and presenting it as a group) Tipping Kitty: On some trips, your CEO may suggest a “tipping kitty” where everyone contributes at the start of the tour, and the CEO uses that pooled amount to tip service providers for the group as a whole (not including your CEO). If your CEO doesn’t mention it and you’d like to use a kitty, we recommend asking about it early in the trip. Your CEO will advise the suggested amount and preferred currency for the kitty.

Flights

Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. This program begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Lisbon. You may want to arrive in Europe one or more days early in case you have flight disruptions. You can arrive at any time you choose, but try to make it in time for our 6:00 p.m. Welcome Meeting on Day 1. You can depart Porto any time on the final day of the program.

Plugs and Converters

Portugal uses Type F outlets (Type C and Type E plugs work as well), and the voltage is 220-240V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider: 1. Adapter (plug shape) Adapts your U.S. plug to fit another type of socket. See our recommended all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post. 2. Converter / transformer (voltage) Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage. How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An “Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows “Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.

Weather

The entire country of Portugal basks in the sunshine in the summer, with only slight temperature variations from one region to another. Cooling breezes off the Atlantic Ocean buffer the heat (highs in the upper 70s F) in the coastal towns of Lisbon and Porto, especially at night.

Advice From Past Participants

I think it could be helpful for some to budget more for food. When we ate an evening meal together as a group, we shared the cost of water, bread, and olives. This ranged from 1.50 to 3.00 Euros per person, depending on the meal. You don't know the cost of your portion of those items until the end of the meal, when they divide it up (this is not a problem, you just know that there will be an additional cost to the menu prices you are selecting for yourself). If you like butter on your bread, you pay an extra 1 Euro per pat of butter (personal preference). Each traveler had a personal food preference and budget to work within. I saw some participants order appetizers, entrees, desert, and wine at each meal. That's what worked with their personal budget/preferences. I saw others order a lower priced entree and pay their share of water/bread/olives. That's what worked within their personal budget/preferences. You don't need dessert. You don't need an appetizer. You don't need a beverage besides the shared water. You don't need butter ????. It is totally possible to balance a lower priced lunch with a higher priced dinner over the course of the day. And, all of the meals can balance out over the course of the week. As adults who budget, we learn how to do these things. I asked for the name of the restaurant ahead of time so I could review the menu, to see if the options met my budget/food preferences. I spoke with a fellow traveler who took fruit from the hotel breakfast to supplement the day. We all get to make choices, and if the group's suggested restaurant is outside one's budget, they can opt to dine separately.