Program Overview
What better way to spend your summer vacation than by exploring one of Europe’s most popular summer destinations?
Let Portugal’s vibrant culture and eclectic architecture wow you as you stroll the hillside neighborhood of Alfama in Lisbon. If you listen carefully, you’ll even hear the sounds of traditional fado music as you explore the hidden alleyways and hip boutiques. Take a day trip to the estate town of Sintra, where you’ll visit two hilltop castles with views that extend all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Soak up the sun and sand at Lagos’ world-class beaches as we kayak through hidden grottos and watch the sunset at the End of the World!
We are all about a hands-on approach to travel, where we go beyond the casual tourist experience, take public transportation, and learn how daily life really is in each place we visit. We provide a unique and carefully crafted itinerary that allows for more challenges and independence. We encourage teens on these trips to learn how to use international public transport, along with other handy travel skills, so that they become confident and able to take on even more of the world in the future.
Your expert Travel For Teens guides will tie together history, day-to-day life, cuisine, and the arts to create the ultimate travel and immersion experience.
During this program, you will…
- Climb the Moorish Castle and explore lagoons at a mansion in Portugal’s gorgeous mountain estate town
- Try the famous Pasteis de Belem at the original Portuguese bakery where they were invented
- Kayak through the incredible rock formations of Portugal’s Algarve coast
- Explore Castelo de São Jorge for panoramic views of Lisbon
- Relax on the pristine beaches in Lagos
- Hike up to the iconic Lagos lighthouse for amazing coastal views
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: DEPART FROM NEW YORK (JFK)
DAYS 2-4: LISBON > SINTRA
Our journey begins in Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant capital city. Here we’ll visit the San Jorge Castle, from which you can see all of Lisbon; eat famous Portuguese pastries in the bakery that invented them (the recipe is still a secret); and explore the best shopping areas and nightlife of the city. We’ll listen to traditional Portuguese fado music as we dine on local specialties that include codfish, potatoes, and chicken. We will also visit the nearby mountain estate town of Sintra, where we will climb the Castle of the Moors and the Pena Palace for phenomenal views of the landscape and Atlantic ocean, and explore the gardens of a mansion that includes a spiral staircase leading into tunnels and lagoons.
DAYS 5-6: LAGOS
Our next stop is the fun resort town of Lagos in Portugal’s famed Algarve region. Here we’ll spend an afternoon soaking up the sun on the pristine beaches, as well as take a sea kayaking tour of the grottoes and caves of its stunning coastal cliffs. You can even hike up to the lighthouse!
DAY 7: LISBON
We’ll finish off our trip where we started, back in Lisbon! We’ll spend our last day hitting up any spots we missed in the city, shopping for souvenirs, and enjoying Portuguese summer before having one last fancy dinner together to celebrate the end of an incredible trip!
DAY 8: RETURN FLIGHT HOME
Check out other TFT programs similar to this one!
Travel with us and discover why we are consistently winning awards for Top Youth Travel Organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do we stay on the Portugal Explorer program?
Our hotels are chosen specifically in safe areas and are well suited to facilitating group supervision. We stay in centrally located accommodations, usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
In Lisbon, we will be staying in a fantastic hostel just off one of the main shopping boulevards. Our Lagos accommodation is a beach resort, just steps from the beach and the bustling town center.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for the program.
Our hotels are chosen specifically in safe areas and are well suited to facilitating group supervision. We stay in centrally located accommodations, usually within walking distance of the main attractions. We do not use large, impersonal chain hotels on the outskirts of cities; we prefer to select smaller, family-run hotels where we establish personal relationships with the owners.
In Lisbon, we will be staying in a fantastic hostel just off one of the main shopping boulevards. Our Lagos accommodation is a beach resort, just steps from the beach and the bustling town center.
For safety reasons, we do not publish the names of the accommodations we use. We do not feel it is safe to publish the name of a hotel where a group of teenagers is staying abroad. After registering, participants and parents are given access to our secure parent website where you will be able to see the names of all of the accommodations for the program.
What is included?
Tuition cost includes ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts and dinners.
Not included in the cost (not intended to be an exhaustive list): Airfare, visas and visa application fees, beverages other than filtered water at meals, lunches, activities and admissions not referenced in the itinerary or deemed not program related, such as movies, expenses incurred by the participant that are outside the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels, expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters, as well as personal and medical expenses.
Tuition cost includes ground transportation; accommodation; chaperones and guides; program-related activities and admissions; taxes and tips; all breakfasts and dinners.
Not included in the cost (not intended to be an exhaustive list): Airfare, visas and visa application fees, beverages other than filtered water at meals, lunches, activities and admissions not referenced in the itinerary or deemed not program related, such as movies, expenses incurred by the participant that are outside the program description, such as excess baggage fees and damage to hotels, expenses related to unforeseen circumstances, such as transportation strikes and natural disasters, as well as personal and medical expenses.
What do students like most about the Portugal Explorer trip?
Students love the incredible variety of activities on the Portugal Explorer trip, from exploring hidden lagoons in Portuguese estates, snorkeling and sea kayaking in the Algarve, shopping in Lisbon’s trendiest neighborhoods, and visiting castles in Sintra.
Students love the incredible variety of activities on the Portugal Explorer trip, from exploring hidden lagoons in Portuguese estates, snorkeling and sea kayaking in the Algarve, shopping in Lisbon’s trendiest neighborhoods, and visiting castles in Sintra.
What is the food like in Portugal?
In a word – delicious! At TFT, we believe food should be an integral part of the travel experience and always make an effort to eat at authentic establishments when we can. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a place than by sampling the local delicacies, and we encourage students to do so whenever possible! Just as we stay away from Americanized hotel chains, we try to avoid restaurants with menus that cater only to tourists because every good traveler knows the best food is found wherever the locals are eating!
The Portuguese love their fresh fish and seafood, as well as pork and chicken and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. Many of the foods might look unfamiliar to you, so we encourage you to be adventurous, step out of your comfort zone, and try something new!
Of course, we are always willing and able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten allergies, and other dietary restrictions.
In a word – delicious! At TFT, we believe food should be an integral part of the travel experience and always make an effort to eat at authentic establishments when we can. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a place than by sampling the local delicacies, and we encourage students to do so whenever possible! Just as we stay away from Americanized hotel chains, we try to avoid restaurants with menus that cater only to tourists because every good traveler knows the best food is found wherever the locals are eating!
The Portuguese love their fresh fish and seafood, as well as pork and chicken and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. Many of the foods might look unfamiliar to you, so we encourage you to be adventurous, step out of your comfort zone, and try something new!
Of course, we are always willing and able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten allergies, and other dietary restrictions.