Travel Tidbits - Decadence in Portugal

Portugal, but make it decadent. Inside Tours knows exactly the perfect recipe for your clients who think they've done it all, eaten it all and sipped it all at Europe's finest establishments. This one changes the game, the one your most indulgent clients will be talking about for years: LISBON: THE APPETIZER: Begin at a private chef's table with one of Lisbon's Michelin starred chefs, watching each course come together in front of you. The next morning, roll up your sleeves for a pastel de nata masterclass, then wander the tiled streets of Alfama with a private guide, sampling tinned fish, cured ham, and cherry liqueur along the way. End with a sunset sail on the Tagus, white port in hand, at golden hour. ALENTEJO: THE SLOW COURSE: Trade the city for a restored farm estate surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, and cork oak forests, where time moves at the pace of a long lunch. Taste talha wines, fermented in giant clay amphorae using a method dating back to Roman times. Float over medieval hilltop villages in a hot air balloon at dawn, then gather for a private dinner of acorn fed black pork beneath a sky full of stars. DOURO VALLEY: THE MAIN EVENT: Arrive in style by helicopter, soaring over the steep terraced vineyards of the world's oldest demarcated wine region. Check into a destination spa hotel among the vines, then visit family run quintas for tastings and long lunches paired with wines that rarely leave Portugal. Cruise the river on a traditional rabelo boat and visit during harvest and you can join the grape stomping in a stone lagar. PORTO: THE GRAND FINALE: Cross to Vila Nova de Gaia for after hours access to the historic port lodges, where centuries old barrels line the cellars. Sit down with a master blender to create your own port, bottled and labeled with your name. Then uncork something truly rare: a port from your client's birth year. Finish with a farewell dinner overlooking the Douro River and the city lights, raising a final toast to the good life. Over the top? Absolutely. That's the point with Inside Tours.