Portugal with Meagan Morrison

Day 1: Lisbon

Welcome to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and as Erich Remarque once described, “a fairy-tale city, descending over lighted terraces to the sea.” We’ll meet up with Meagan at our hotel in a historic section of town before heading out for dinner at local favorite seafood restaurant, Sea Me, which pays homage to fishmongers of yore while making room for the modern palette.

We will get acquainted over the day’s catch, which could include dishes like briny Sado oysters, carpaccio of tuna, pan-seared prawns, or whatever the chefs deem freshest. Over a glass or two of honeysuckle-crisp white wine from the Douro Valley, we’ll chat with Meagan about the incredible week ahead.

Day 2: Lisbon

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll ascend to the H10’s rooftop terrace where you’ll get your first drawing lesson with Meagan. The view of Lisbon and the Tagus estuary from here is incomparable and will inspire a sketch that might double as a colorful postcard of your own creation.

After lunch, we set off to see Lisbon’s Belém neighborhood, where the streets are an action painting of the senses. Whiffs of smoky sausage, ocean scents, and licks of Fado paint the air. We’ll pause to trade impressions over a few creamy Pastéis de Nata custard tarts, so good you won’t be able to eat just one.

Then it’s off to get a insider glimpse of Lisbon’s art and fashion scene—guests of local artisans at the Lx Factory, we’ll walk the studios and galleries of jewelers, textile designers, and artists, and watch how they breathe new life into handed-down traditions. Dinner tonight is yours to manifest—choose from among Lisbon’s top restaurants, or just follow your noses to stands selling olive-oil drenched sardines.  

Day 3: Lisbon & Sintra

Described by Hans Christian Anderson as the “most beautiful place in Portugal,” the village of Sintra, a World Heritage Site, is where we venture today. With a castle that seems to float in the clouds, Sintra has a mystical feeling, like stepping into a fairy tale or back in time. Portuguese nobility has historically kept residences here, and around every corner, there’s a different architectural wonder to behold. 

After collecting our jaws from the floor as we navigate the winding lanes of this medieval city, we’ll join Meagan for a second lesson. This session will be held on a private rooftop overlooking the Moorish castle. With the help of Meagan, we’ll bring history to life with a few deft strokes before heading back to Lisbon – which already feels like home by now.

Day 4: Lisbon

Today we lean into the artisanal side of Lisbon, in particular, the traditional Portuguese blue and white ceramic glazed tiles called azulejos, a word that derives from Arabic, meaning “polished stone.”  Like reading a country’s personality in decorative mosaics, we’ll dive deep into the art form—studying train station walls, public fountains or even the guerrilla work of azulejo street artists. Seeing is one thing, and making is another. After our tour, we’ll have the opportunity not only to design our own tiles, but to shepherd the piece through the entire creative process. With Meagan by our side, this exercise is sure to awash in inspiration.

After a break for lunch, it’s back into the living mosaic of Lisbon’s city center for a guided walking tour. We’ll stroll through picturesque neighborhoods loaded with bohemians and sophisticates alike, run our toes through the grass at the gardens of São Pedro de Alcântara, and meditate on the panoramic views overlooking the city, before striking into the heart of Chiado, where we can browse the wares of local designers, jewelers, glove-makers, and slip into some vintage Portuguese fashion.

Dinner tonight is a farewell to Lisbon at the famed restaurant, Pharmacia. It’s a time for celebration, and we’ll raise our glasses to Lisbon and toast to the adventure ahead.

Day 5: Porto

It aches to leave Lisbon but the drive to Porto promises more memories in the making. We’ll stop at the pinwheel-color-painted haylofts of Costa Nova, built by fishermen, and beloved by travelers. From there, the two-century-old Vista Alegre Porcelain Factory and workshop is waiting with an open door to its museum of decorative arts and industrial ceramics. After touring their unique collection, we’lln participate in a painting workshop and decorate a blank plate of our own (probably the only empty plate you will be handed on this trip!).

Next stop: the seaside town of Porto, where we’ll check into the enchanting Infante Sagres Hotel. Now it’s your time to explore. If cobblestone streets and riverside breezes are your thing, if wine merchants and lively yet mysterious bohemian cafes spark your imagination, you’ve found your place in Porto.

Anybody up for an aperitif? If you need a ‘pick me up,’ go for a café com cheirinho, or a “Coffee with a little scent” which is basically coffee with cheirnho – a fiery Portuguese brandy. 

Day 6: Porto

This morning marks our true immersion in Porto – an ancient port city that is home to seaside palaces and fine examples of azulejos, and the day is yours to embellish. 

Take in the sites or get lost in time traversing the cobblestone streets in the medieval Ribeira (riverside) district, where the chic meets the historic. Browse art books at the Livraria Lello, the enchanting bookshop that inspired JK Rowling to write Harry Potter. Later sit in a seaside café and over a plate of cheese and enchidos (cured meats) gaze out at the Atlantic as the colorful fishing boats bob in the surf. Or climb the Clérigos Tower to survey the entirety of Porto: the city that you conquer as it conquers you. Just don’t go to far off the beaten path because we have an exquisite dinner planned.

Dinner is at Barão Fladgate, overlooking the winding Douro River and ancient city center. Here we’ll try traditional Portuguese cuisine updated to contemporary tastes with locally sourced ingredients and special attention paid to wine and wood-aged and vintage ports.

Day 7: Douro Valley

Today we drive into the majestic Douro Valley, home to ancient port-producing vineyards called quintas. We will coil our way through sleepy villages to reach the terraced hillsides that are the birthplace of port wine, a place where grapes are still picked by hand and crushed by foot.

Our first stop in the pièce de résistance of our journey. On the terrace of Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo—a winery connected to a single family for generations—Meagan will lead us in a wine-label drawing session, marrying her knowledge of this art with her love of wine.

We won’t just observe the craft of traditional wine-making — we’ll blend our own under the guidance of master winemakers. When ready, you can adhere your self-drawn label, giving you a one-of-a-kind souvenir filled with the flavor of our time in Portugal.  

We cap off the day in wine county with dinner at Semea, run by Michelin-starred chef Vasco Coelho Santo. This riverside icon favors local ingredients paired with the region’s top wines — a sumptuous farewell feast to remember before returning to Porto.

Day 8: Departures

After our final breakfast at the hotel, we bid farewell to Meagan and our fellow travelers—hearts and spirits full of all things Portugal. Then it’s off to Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), about a 25-minute drive from the hotel. Until next time! Obrigada e adeus, Portugal!