- Private Guided Tour of Porto where you will visit many interesting sites
- Visits to the most stunning Northern Portuguese gardens
- A chance to see an incredible collection of camelias
- A visit to the amazing quinta's with their wonderful gardens
Day 1: Welcome to Porto
Our tour guide will be waiting for you at the Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport in Porto to give you a warm welcome and to escort you to your hotel. Accommodation in Porto
Day 2: Porto
After breakfast at the hotel, you will enjoy a private guided tour around the historical centre of Porto. The private tour begins in front of the City Hall, and from there you will pass through some of the most interesting and historical sights that the city has to offer. During this private tour you will witness the magnificence of the great architectural symbols of the “unvanquished" city, like the Cathedral, the neo-Classical Stock Exchange Palace and the Church of St. Francisco, a great example of Baroque art. Garden of Quinta de Santo Inácio: the house and gardens of this estate date back to the XVIII century. Today, the garden and the surrounding woods are protected as they are areas of local heritage. You will find a romantic garden bordered by azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and other flowers, topped by a canopy of various species of eucalyptus, oaks, pines and many other trees. Accommodation in Porto.
Day 3: Porto / Vila do Conde
The Botanical Gardens of Porto: in 1949, the Portuguese government purchased an estate on the outskirts of the city to install the Botanical Garden of the University of Porto. The original gardens were maintained and extended and the agricultural land and woods were transformed into a wooded park.
Garden of Casa Villar d’Allen: The estate has a large collection of camellias and a variety of exotic plants from North and South America, Australia and Asia.
Quinta Vilar de Matos: the quinta's camellias are considered by the International Confederation of the Camellias as some of the best in the world. This estate has approximately 30.000 camellias plants with over 1050 different varieties. Paulino Costa Curval exports camellias to Japanese collectors because some of the species growing at his estate are no longer available in Japan where the flower symbolizes fortune, friendship and harmony.
Day 4: Porto, Santo Tirso, Guimarães and Celorico de Basto
Garden of Casa do Casal: Once you’re inside, in addition to the two towering redwoods, you will also find the estates' oldest camellias as well as other forest species. At the rear end of the house you can find an extensive collection of camellias, including three varieties created at this house.
Garden of the Monastery of Landim: the Origins of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Landim go back to the Middle Ages. Completely renovated by the owners, it is considered to be a great example of preservation, which celebrates the millennial monastic foundation. The garden still has the XIX century garden with many century-old trees, camellias, rhododendrons, and a magnificent forest of oaks. You will absolutely enjoy the variety of flowers during this tour.
Garden of the Pousada Santa Marinha: on the hillside, overlooking the historic city of Guimarães, stands the majestic Pousada Santa Marinha. It is relatively close to the city centre and was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Garden of the Pousada Santa Marinha is located within the Penha Park with its’ century-old trees and the magnificent Monastery Garden with its’ granite fountains, multiple balconies and terraces overlooking the city.
Garden of Casa do Campo: the Casa do Campo is a perfect architectural example of the typical northern nobility home. The garden was transformed and expanded in the XIX century, based on a rectangular shaped area divided by a central axis and transversal sections with a granite fountain at its centre, giving an interesting symmetrical characteristic. It is simply impossible to not be amazed by the huge cylindrical camellia sculptures that flank the entrance to the garden.
Day 5 - End of the private tour
Private transfer from the hotel to the International Airport of Porto.