We are local guides,
hosts and Ambassadors of Portugal
John from Portugal offers customized services, including tours, day trips, events, transfers, and comprehensive travel plans for your holidays.
We prioritize quality, operate with a small, passionate team, and collaborate with partners when needed.
Our extensive experience in leading tours and planning holidays gives us the confidence to ensure memorable experiences
Get inspired
An introduction to Lisbon’s old town
Explore Lisbon’s old town with a private guide, uncovering iconic viewpoints, historical neighborhoods and hidden corners, through an authentic and immersive experience.
Lisbon Bites
Discover Lisbon through its flavors on a curated journey, tasting authentic specialties while uncovering the culture and traditions behind each bite.
Lisbon’s West Coast - Sintra and Cascais
Discover Sintra on a private journey blending history, nature, and coastal beauty. From royal palaces to dramatic Atlantic views, ending with a scenic stop in Cascais.
The age of the Discoveries by Bike
Cycle Lisbon’s scenic waterfront to Belém, discovering iconic landmarks and the legacy of the Age of Discoveries on a relaxed private e-bike ride.
Portuguese tiles - Walking tour and workshop
Discover Lisbon’s iconic tiles on a private experience, exploring decorated streets before creating your own handcrafted piece.
Fado night out
Experience Lisbon’s soul through an intimate evening of Fado, blending live music, traditional cuisine, and local insight.
Setúbal - The history and gastronomy of the South Bank
Explore the Setúbal region on a private journey through history, markets, and wine, discovering vibrant local flavors, renowned vineyards, and a rich blend of culture and tradition.
Hiking Portugal's Wild Shores
Drive north of Lisbon for a scenic coastal hike away from the tourist crowds, followed by fresh seafood at a local seaside restaurant on a perfect blend of nature and local flavors.
Testimonials
“Enthusiastic recommendation for JohnfromPortugal’s tours which not only educate but bring fun and zest too. We learned so much and had so much fun that I brought a second group to hear him – and enjoyed it just as much as our first outing. Be sure to mention you would like to stop at his insider local shops, artisan friends and food places.”
Ile N
NY, USA
“João put together an incredible and very personalized two day tour for my wife and I through Lisbon and Sintra. He perfectly catered to our love of history, food, and wine by sharing so much of his knowledge and taking us to all the right places. We really felt like we got to experience this magnificent city from a local’s perspective and are sure the trip wouldn’t have been the same if we had done this alone. I could not recommend his guide services enough. Thank you!”
Ryan
Charlottesville, USA
“João’s passion for Portugal and history made our food tour unforgettable. His warm hospitality and personalized private tour added a special touch. Excited about his new business venture, João crafted a second fantastic half-day walking tour for my mother and me. I highly recommend exploring Portugal with him for a unique adventure and, possibly, a new friend!”
Kara
Perth, AU
EXCELLENT Based on 15 reviews Posted on Lila Ray Goldsmith John from Portugal was absolutely one of the best tour guides we have ever worked with and have travelled a lot. He is friendly, professional and planned an amazing vacation for us. It was truly a pleasure spending time with him and planning out vacation with him. We highly recommend and appreciate himPosted on Catherine Hendrix I’ve been on a lot of food tours, and the tours with John are absolutely the best experiences I’ve had. He is thoughtful, knowledgeable, and personable. You’re missing out on a great way to experience Lisbon if you don’t book a tour with him.Posted on Nicole Dubislav Heel erg genoten van deze tour olv onze deskundige gids Pedro. Zeker doen. Aanrader!Posted on Eva Bogaty John was very knowledgeable and engaging. Brought us into so many local places, made great food recommendations and kept the walking tour fun and lively. We learned a ton on our walking tour of the old city and highly recommend! Next time we will do the food tour.Posted on emily raimes Great tour guide! Knowledgeable, fun, and really interesting. I would definitely book him again for a tour!Posted on Natalie Howrd Fabulous Tour This was our second tour with “John from Portugal” and it didn’t disappoint. With Pedro as our guide we explored the downtown area of the city and the Graça neighbourhood. Pedro is a real history buff and made the day so interesting. He is a great guide. A wealth of knowledge , we found his overview of the history of Lisbon fascinating especially the rebuilding of Lisbon after the earthquake in 1755 and the development of Graça which still retains its village style atmosphere today and where a lot of locals live. It was great to explore hidden streets and hear their history in shaping the development of the city. We tasted amazingly delicious food in hidden local eateries and generational family run businesses that we would have never found by ourselves. We ate in local cafes, without all the tourist crowds and really felt that we experienced the city like a local. It was like visiting the city with a good friend. Pedro is great. He made the day so enjoyable and a lot of fun. We learned so much about Lisbon’s history and the cultural significance of its local cuisine. We would highly recommend. Obrigada Pedro ☘️Posted on Sheila Tendy Amazing experience! Our tour guide, Pedro Morisson, was smart, interesting, worldly, energetic and showed us the most wonderful time in Lisbon! We toured fun neighborhoods, tasted amazing food, enjoyed romantic Fado and learned about the culture and history of Lisbon. We walked and biked everywhere! (Taxis are always available for those who want a less athletic experience;.) The owner of the company, John, was responsive, cared about our trip and helped us find the right balance of experiences. Highly recommend!!Posted on Rhonda Claxton We had the pleasure of booking two amazing tours with João and Pedro, covering Lisbon, Sintra, and Cascais—and the experience was phenomenal from start to finish. They were referred to us by friends, and we are so happy we followed their recommendation! João handled all of the pre-planning and communication—he was responsive, organized, and made everything seamless. Pedro led both tours and was absolutely outstanding. Experiencing these places with such an insider was a true gift—his deep knowledge of the city and his passion for its history and culture made every stop come alive. He is engaging, personable, and truly a joy to spend time with. Both João and Pedro are incredibly service-oriented and helpful, and we couldn’t have asked for a better team. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for an exceptional experience in Portugal.Posted on Michele Kreinheder (Michele K) Guide Pedro was touted as the best by "John from Portugal" tours, and it appears he is! Pedro made our full day tour fun, relaxed yet incredibly educational. Like all good Portuguese, Pedro is proud of his country; not boastful but very aware of exactly what makes Portugal wonderful. Pedro took us logically through the 500 years of history the Palace of Sintra. Pedro's story made the visual, personal. Worth every penny! I feel bad for folks who wander through the Palace without Pedro as their guide.Posted on Steve R John from Portugal was a fantastic tour guide during our visit to Porto and Lisbon. Hotel recommendations were spot on and affordable. Growing up in Lisbon his knowledge and passion for Portugal was clearly a winning combination. We highly recommend John for your next trip to Portugal. Steve- Houston Texas 8-1-25
EXCELLENT Based on 13 reviews Posted on Miguel D Excelente experiencia! Excelente experiencia recorriendo Cascáis y Sintra. Monumentos espectaculares y jardines que impresionan, acompañados por un relato histórico y cultural claro, interesante y muy bien llevado por nuestro guía Gonçalo. Una jornada donde disfrutamos y aprendimos.Posted on Manish K Great day trip to Sintra and Cascais Pedro and Joao were outstanding. Pedro was knowledgeable, courteous, and genuinely engaging throughout the tour, making the experience both enjoyable and informative. Joao was equally professional and kind, and the coordination between the two of them was seamless from start to finish. Pedro went above and beyond to help our family, especially with our elderly mother, who moved at a slower pace, and our two kids, who had plenty of energy and liked to move much faster. They both handled everything with patience, warmth, and professionalism, which made the day far less stressful for us and much more enjoyable. We truly appreciated their attentiveness, flexibility, and the care they showed our family. We would highly recommend Pedro and Joao to anyone looking for a smooth, well coordinated, and memorable experience.Posted on Jane S Wonderful 2 days - 1 with Pedro/ 1 with John. John and Pedro are wonderful hosts and represent the best of Portugal. They are very knowledgeable, so friendly and outgoing, and down right fun. They take care of everything from pick up to drop off. 2 wonderful days!!!! Thank you John and Pedro.Posted on Kristen M Best tour guide experience! My husband and I and a group of associates just finished our tour of Lisbon with João (John). He was born here and is currently living here with his family and children, so he knows the best places and things to see. He has friends on every corner! Very personable and passionate about his city and its history. Listens and answers every question. Shared some local eats with us and we even visited a local clay tile artisan. Thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would highly recommend João or anyone on his team to be your guide. Everyone is very friendly and we had a wonderful day!Posted on Natalie H Highly Recommend My husband and I had the pleasure of taking a private day tour during our recent visit to Lisbon with “John from Portugal”. From the outset our enquiry was handled promptly and professionally. John gave us a great overview of the available options and the opportunity to customise our tour for any specific areas of interest we may have. Everything went seamlessly. Being picked up and left back to our hotel meant that we didn’t need to navigate to a meeting point which started and ended the day in a much more relaxed way. Definitely recommended. We took the Setúbal - History & gastronomy of the south which included a tour to Pamela’s Castle (absolutely amazing) and the Mercado do Livramento. The tour completely exceeded our expectations. We felt that John really planned the day exceptionally well to give us a complete cultural experience. There was a good balance of history, nature, food and wine. There was no rush and everything was at our pace. We absolutely loved the local market in Setubal where we had the opportunity to sample some delicious food and meet the locals. It was so much fun and we seemed to be the only tourists ☘️Our lunch, a highlight of the day, showcased the amazing fresh seafood of the area in a hidden gem of a restaurant that we would never have found by ourselves. In the afternoon we relaxed in a local winery, Alcube, tasting wine from local ancient grape varieties and ended the day tasting a delicious muscatel in an historic wine house. Just wonderful. We found John to be extremely knowledgeable, very personable and fun to be with. We loved his passion for his native Lisbon, his immense knowledge of its history and culture and for all the delicious food and wine he sourced for us. He is a great guy. We highly recommend his company and can’t thank him enough for such a fabulous day. We felt like we had spent the day with a good friend and were so fortunate to see a very special part of Lisbon. We also took a day tour through Lisbon city which was fabulous and I have written a separate review for that tour. Obrigada João 🍀 Esperamos vê -lo novamente. Natalie & Andrew AustraliaPosted on Julia F Perfect personal tour guide Best tour guide we have ever had! Entertaining, educated, enthusiastic, knowledgeable well rounded great relevant fun facts lively and his English is fluent, clear and easy to understand and he’s a great guy and a lovely person! Perfect travel companion. Plus totally flexible …he did a private tour for us just of jeronimos monastery which is all we initially requested but was so easy going when we sour of the moment decided to do a few detours for coffee, broken tower etc and fitted in with us so accomodatingly and flexibly!Posted on FellowTraveler80651 Fantastic local guide, well worth the price Joao was wonderful. He’s knowledgeable and smart and genuinely friendly and charming. He knows all of the local gems and wants to share his appreciation for the Portuguese way of life. I feel like we got an extra day of experiences by taking a tour with him. Worth every penny!Posted on Dan L Best guide in Lisbon! João is the best! Friendly, knowledgeable, fun and funny. He will curate the experience for what you are looking for, even adapting once you are with him. A true professional and great to spend some of your time in Lisbon with. He even made additional recommendations for us at the end of our tour based on what we liked. Book with confidence!Posted on Nancy H You will not be disappointed!! I cannot more highly recommend John from Portugal Tours. My brother and sister in law did a tour in June with Pedro. Since it was one of the highlights of their trip, I reached out. Joao was our guide and it was truly an amazing day. Everything was perfect.... the food, the sites, the transportation but most importantly the conversation. And Joao was so sensitive to our needs, before I knew I needed something (a rest, a W.C., a gelato...) he was already offering it. We learned so much history and greatly enjoyed Joao's company. Joao loves his city and his country, but most importantly, loves sharing his vast knowledge and passion with visitors. The perfect guide! When I come back, he will be the first person I call. It was a very special day for us that we will remember for a long time.Posted on Rachel D Incredible Guide: Knowledgeable, Kind, and Fun Four of us spent a stupendous day with João guiding us through Sintra (focusing on the National Palace), a delicious and spectacular lunch along the coast, and through Cascais. In addition to sharing an incredible amount of knowledge, João was so much fun to spend the day with!
Explore the captivating history and culture of Portugal. With our guidance, embrace unique experiences that will make your journey to this magical country unforgettable.
