Walking holidays, tours and vacations in Northern Portugal

The hill country of Peneda Geres

Northern Portugal is relatively little known and has only recently been discovered by walkers. Hidden away in the golden hills and lush green valleys of the Peneda-Gerês national park are delightful villages where rural communities continue a lifestyle that is centuries old. These villages, where the farmers keep long-horned cattle fed on maize, grown on ancient terraces and stored in distinctive granite espigueiros, are linked by old paved tracks and footpaths that penetrate wild uplands reaching up to 1500m. It is these footpaths that you will use.

There is a wonderful sense of remoteness here, even though you are never more than a couple of kilometres away from a village or hamlet, and you may walk for hours without seeing anyone else. But feast also on bacalhau at the remarkable Restaurant Abocanhado (Night 4), visit Lindoso Castle, walk a day’s march along a Roman road high above the valley, and end with a stay in a magnificent old monastery, now converted into a top quality hotel.

While in the region, stay a day or two in enchanting and historic Porto at On Foot’s hotel choice, a short bus ride from the centre at quiet Foz do Douro.

Hours walking per day: 3½ - 7
(shorter and longer options available most days)

Medium length walks of between 10 and 20 km, with shorter options and with two longer options (days 4 and 6)

Total 7 nights in shared room, all breakfasts, luggage transfers, 4 picnics and 1 evening meal
 
Savings and supplements

Single Room Supplement £135

Lone Traveller Additional Supplement £30

3rd person and over £75 off per person

3+ bedded rooms - call us for savings

Shorter breaks

6 nights (miss night 2) £505; SRS £103; LTAS £27; 3rd person+ £65 off pp

5 nights (miss nights 1 & 2) £475; SRS £85; LTAS £23; 3rd person+ £55 off pp

Fly to Porto

(All flights are subject to change at short notice - please check carefully before you book your holiday)

From: 

Birmingham Ryanair;

Bristol Ryanair;

Dublin Ryanair;

Heathrow TAP Air Portugal;

Gatwick TAP Air Portugal;

Liverpool Ryanair; 

Stansted Ryanair

Other indirect flights.

Typical rail journey

London: 11:05 Eurostar to Paris (N), metro to Paris (Mp) for 15:50 TGV to Irun. 22:00 night train to Coimbra-B, for 09:31 Intercity to Porto, local train to Braga, arrive 11:58. ~25 hrs.

Braga: 15:30 train to Porto & 16:52 Intercity to Coimbra-B for 18:26 night train to Hendaye (07:10). Take 07:56 TGV to Paris (Mp) and transfer to Paris (N) by metro for 15:20 Eurostar to London, arrive 17:33. ~26 hrs.

The first hotel is in Soajo and the last walking hotel is near Amares. Best airport is Porto.

Porto airport:

Land by:  12:00 hrs (later arrivals possible but connections/journey time may mean missing supper - no time limit if using taxi).

Outward: Various combinations of public transport with taxi options possible: 2-4 hrs 
OPTION:  Pre-booked taxi transfer from Porto airport to the first hotel 2 hrs 
 
Return: Local taxi to Braga then train to Porto (2 hrs), metro to airport (c.30 mins) (c. €18). Local taxi from Foz do Douro extra nights hotel (45 mins, c. €16) 
OPTION:  Pre-booked taxi transfer from the final hotel on the walk to Porto airport 1½ hrs

OPTION:  Pre-booked taxi transfer from final hotel on the walk to Porto hotel 2 hrs 

Return flight earliest:  09:00 (no time limit if using pre-booked taxi or staying on in Porto) 

For pre-bookable taxi prices, see "Price includes"
 

Nearest railway station: 
Start: Braga (then bus to Arcos de Valdevez)
Finish: Braga (short taxi ride)

IMPORTANT: Do not book your flights until we have confirmed that we have provisionally reserved accommodation for you.