Overview
A short, active trip that shows teens three sides of Portugal. It starts in Porto, a hilly riverside city of tiled houses and church towers, with a guided tour, a sunset boat on the Douro and a full day of canyoning — abseiling down waterfalls — in the mountains of Peneda-Gerês National Park.
Then south to the Algarve. Lagos is a beach town inside 16th-century walls, and from here the group sea-kayaks along the cliffs and into the caves and coves of the coast. The last four days are in Lisbon: a bike tour beside the river, pastries in Belém, the old Bairro Alto quarter, a day among the palaces and gardens of Sintra, an evening in Cascais and a surf lesson on the Atlantic.
Groups are small — up to 26 teens in grades 9–11 — and travel by private coach with some public transport in the cities. The same route is also the last part of the 28-day Spain & Portugal trip.
What's included
The itinerary
- Day 1 Flight to Porto — The official start: the group flies overnight from New York. Teens joining from Europe meet the group in Porto the next day.
- Days 2–4 Porto, Portugal — A guided tour of the old riverside city, an all-day waterfall canyoning trip in Peneda-Gerês National Park, and a sunset cruise on the Douro.
- Days 5–7 Lagos (Algarve), Portugal — Beach days in a walled seaside town, sea kayaking past the rock formations and into the sea caves, and karaoke nights out.
- Days 8–11 Lisbon, Portugal — A guided bike tour along the river, pastries at the famous bakery in Belém, the Bairro Alto, a day in Sintra at the Quinta da Regaleira, an evening in Cascais, and a surf lesson on the Atlantic coast.
- Day 12 Lisbon, Portugal — Goodbyes and flights home from Lisbon.
Where teens stay
Hotels the whole way, with rooms shared with other teens in the group: a hotel in a restored historic building in Porto's Ribeira district, overlooking the Douro, with air-conditioning and Wi-Fi; a 4-star resort hotel in the centre of Lagos; and a Lisbon hotel near the Avenida da Liberdade and Eduardo VII Park. The exact hotel at each stop is confirmed before departure.
Meals
Breakfast (a buffet at the hotel) and dinner are included every day — dinners are either with the whole group or in smaller groups at a restaurant the teens choose. Lunch is not included: teens eat in small groups at local cafés and bistros, so plan for it in their spending money. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jul 1–12, Jul 17–28. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
How do flights work if we live in Europe?
The official dates count from the group's overnight flight out of New York, so the trip itself begins in Porto on day 2. Families in Europe usually book their own flight to Porto and the staff meet their child at the airport and handle the transfer — as long as the flight lands within the operator's arrival window, so please check with us before booking anything non-refundable. At the end, teens fly home from Lisbon; the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left. (There's also a chaperoned group flight back to New York, mainly used by American participants.)
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, tips and local taxes. Not included: flights to and from the trip, lunches and snacks, spending money, laundry (done along the way at a wash-and-fold service once a week), the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$200 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 12-day trip costs US$5,399 instead of US$5,599. It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
Is there a longer version that includes Spain?
Yes — the 28-day Spain & Portugal trip spends its first sixteen days in Barcelona, Alicante, Granada, Seville and Madrid, then flies to Porto and follows this same Portuguese route to Lisbon.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.