Hidden Portugal

Save 10% on 2026 short haul holidays with Newmarket Holidays

Discover a delightful corner of Portugal, filled with fascination, offering the warmest of welcomes and home to famous wines. Stay at a choice of excellent hotels close to the historic Costa Verde fishing town of Póvoa de Varzim, beautifully set on the glorious Atlantic coast, and explore this little-known but lovely region on three fascinating included guided excursions: one to Porto, one along the Costa Verde and one into the Minho region just north of Póvoa. Hugely popular with our customers, this holiday also offers opportunities to explore the vineyards of the Douro Valley, Portugal's historic former capital, Braga, and Spain's stunning pilgrimage shrine at Santiago de Compostela on optional tours. In 2026, this tour will also be added to our Small-Group collection, and will follow a slightly altered itinerary. Further details can be found under the 2026 itinerary section below.

Highlights

Discover Portugal's second city, Porto, in its splendid setting above the River Douro
Experience guided visits to Viana do Castelo and Ponte de Lima in the northern Minho region on an optional excursion
Explore the Vinho Verde's vineyards
A leisurely walking tour of Póvoa de Varzim on an optional excursion
Travel on an optional tour to Barcelos, home to Europe’s largest open-air market and Braga
Visit a port wine lodge
Journey along the scenic Costa Verde

Inclusions

Seven nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Povoa de Varzim
7 breakfasts
A full-day tour of Porto
An excursion to Barcelos and Braga
A trip to Guimarães
A visit to one of the city’s many famous port wine lodges
A trip to Vinho Verde vineyards and Ponte de Lima
Return flights to Porto
Comfortable coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Day 1

Fly to Porto - Arrive in Portugal, meet your tour manager and board the coach for the short transfer to your hotel in Povoa de Varzim.

Day 2

Full day at leisure - Spend your first full day in Portugal relaxing in your chosen hotel and its surroundings. You'll also have the chance to join your tour manager for a leisurely guided stroll or the area in which your hotel is based.

Day 3

Included Porto tour and optional boat trip on the Douro River - Our first included excursion, taken in the company of your tour manager, is a full day visit to Portugal’s second city, Porto. The city that gave its name to the country is ancient, time-weathered, and clings haphazardly to the hillside above the beautiful River Douro. During the day, you'll also visit one of the city’s many famous port wine lodges, and have the chance to enjoy lunch in a riverside restaurant. An optional boat trip on the Douro will also be available (payable locally).

Day 4

Optional tour of the Minho region - Enjoy breakfast this morning ahead of a full day at leisure. If you'd prefer, you can also take in the beautiful coastal region of the Minho on an enthralling optional excursion. Your first stop will be the typical seaside town of Viana do Castelo, on the northern bank of the estuary of the River Lima. One of the town's highlights is the Basilica de Santa Lucia, which has wonderful views over the surrounding area. You'll also head further inland, through the Vinho Verde vineyards, to the historic market town of Ponte de Lima, famous for its 18th-century fountain and Roman bridge.

Day 5

Included Barcelos and Braga excursion - Today’s full-day tour takes in Barcelos, home to Europe’s largest open-air market – a colourful, bustling hive of activity offering a huge range of locally produced goods. From here you’ll continue to Braga, the former Catholic capital of Portugal. Set in the heart of the verdant Minho region, this ancient university seat is one of the country’s oldest settlements. See its great cathedral, and explore the verdant acres of Bom Jesus park and the Escadaria (Baroque staircases) which climbs through it, past chapels, fountains and statues, to the hill-top church.

Day 6

Day at leisure - Embrace a free day, taking advantage of your hotel’s facilities or exploring the surrounding area.

Day 7

Included tour of Guimarães - Start the final full day of your tour with breakfast at the hotel and head east for a fascinating trip to Guimarães, the ‘Birthplace of Portugal’. Upon arrival in this historic city, you’ll have the chance to take in its beautifully preserved medieval centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here, you’ll be free to explore under your own steam, perhaps with a stop at Guimarães Castle, the fortress where Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, was born. Another major sight, the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, shouldn’t be missed with its grand 15th-century architecture and elegant interiors. If you have an interest in history and art, consider visiting the Alberto Sampaio Museum or the Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães. Alternatively, browse local boutiques for Portuguese crafts and souvenirs or sip a coffee in one of the squares before returning to the hotel the evening.

Day 8

Fly home to the UK - Bid adeus to this delightful region of Portugal, and head back to the airport to check in for your flight home, at the end of a hugely enjoyable holiday.

Further Information

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Airport development fees

An Airport Development Fee has been introduced at a few UK Airports. You will be required to pay this charge at the following airports prior to checking in for your flight: Blackpool, Newquay and Norwich. The amount varies from airport to airport, but it is generally between £5 and £10 per person. Please visit the airport's website for further information.

Room tax

Some hotel have introduced a room tax of between 1 € and 3 € per person per night, payable directly by the guest to the hotel on check-out. You'll be advised by your tour manager at your destination if a particular hotel is implementing this charge.

Half-board upgrade

Customers have the option to upgrade their board basis on this tour for an additional supplement of £199.

Visas & Passports

Rules may have changed since you last travelled to European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The following are useful guidelines which will help you prepare for your next adventure. You do require government issued passport to travel. Names - It is very important that all passenger names are exactly as per your passport although we do not require middle names. Passport - Your passport must meet two requirements to travel to an EU country and to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. It must be: Less than 10 years old on the day you return home (please check the "date of issue") and valid for at least 3 months after the day you return home (please check the "expiry date"). Visa - You do not need a visa for short trips to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You’ll be able to stay for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period.

European Entry/Exit Scheme (EES)

EES is a new digital border management system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of most European countries. Once introduced, when you go through passport control on arrival, as well as producing your passport for checking, you will also have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned. The system will register your entry on arrival and your exit when departing. You will only need to do this on your first entry into Europe after the scheme starts. The EES scheme is not live yet - the latest information can be found at https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees_en. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live, ensure you are familiar with the process. For those travelling via Eurostar, there is a dual British and French/Belgian border in operational at St Pancras International. Therefore the EES system will be in place at the station, you will not need to be checked again on arrival at the other side. For further information please visit the ABTA website here. Please note: Irish passport holders or British Passport holders with an EU residency are currently excluded.

European Travel Information & Authorisation System (ETIAS)

Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, changes have been planned which affect the eligibility of citizens of the United Kingdom to have visa free travel to the EU. ETIAS travel authorisation is a new entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to any of the European Union and Schengen counties. The ETIAS system is not live yet - the latest information can be found at www.etias.com. We recommend keeping yourself updated on the planned commencement date and, once live (and if applicable to you), apply for your ETIAS in good time prior to travel. Newmarket Holidays will not be able to undertake ETIAS applications on your behalf, so have instead instructed the services of the Travel Visa Company to provide help, should you need it. You can find more information about this service here. Please note: ETIAS will not be required for UK citizens travelling on our UK and Ireland tours.

Terms and conditions

Maximum 10% discount applies to 2026 short-haul holidays. All other holidays and tours will have up to 10% applied. This offer applies to new bookings only booked between 2nd December, 2025 and 22nd December, 2025 and cannot be applied retrospectively to bookings already confirmed. This offer does not apply to child pricing. The offer does not apply to holidays with late availability pricing and excludes Festive, River Cruise, Edinburgh Tattoo, André Rieu events, Lapland and Wimbledon. This offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other discount, promotion or concession. When booking a holiday as described above, prices shown will automatically have the discount applied. The discount applies to the original tour price (excluding any discounts already applied, extras and holiday insurance) at the time of booking. This offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Newmarket Holidays reserves the right to cancel, change or amend any tour. Holidays booked with Newmarket Holidays, are financially protected in accordance with ABTA, ATOL & ABTOT regulations. Newmarket Holidays Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 02238316.