10 Days Paranormal Portugal

Your journey begins in Lisbon, where centuries of faith, violence and intrigue lie hidden beneath the city’s vibrant streets. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, here you will have the opportunity to drop off your bags before heading out into Lisbon for lunch at a historic Lisbon restaurant. After lunch you will visit the unsettling Anatomical Theatre at the Faculty of Medicine, home to the preserved head of Diogo Alves, a 19th-century serial killer whose crimes shocked the nation. Your day continues at the Águas Livres Aqueduct, where many of Alves’ victims were allegedly thrown from the arches, crimes long disguised as suicides.

Evening arrival and check-in at your hotel.

Leaving Lisbon, you travel into the misty hills of Sintra. At Quinta da Regaleira, you’ll explore a labyrinth of hidden tunnels, symbolic gardens and enigmatic wells, steeped in esoteric symbolism, secret societies and ancient rituals. Later, you’ll visit Valenças Palace, where legend tells of the ghost of Palmira, a maid who took her own life after unrequited love, said to still wander its halls. After lunch in Sintra’s historic centre, the day ends at Alto da Vigia, a dramatic clifftop viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic. With fierce winds and crashing waves below, the atmosphere here feels raw and otherworldly before returning to Lisbon.

Departing Lisbon, you journey inland to Rocha da Mina, an ancient pre-Roman sanctuary dedicated to the god Endovélico. Associated with healing, prophecy, the afterlife and the underworld, this sacred site once hosted rituals, offerings and oracle consultations. In Évora, lunch is included at a medieval style restaurant before visiting the haunting Chapel of Bones, where human skulls and bones line the walls, a stark reminder of mortality designed to provoke reflection rather than fear. Late afternoon sees you continue to Tomar for check in and overnight stay.

Today is devoted to Portugal’s Templar legacy. You’ll explore the Convent of Christ, once the spiritual and strategic heart of the Knights Templar and later the Order of Christ. Rich in symbolism and secrecy, the complex is filled with legends of hidden knowledge and sacred rites. Nearby stands the Church of Santa Maria do Olival, the former Templar headquarters and burial place of several Masters, rumoured to be linked by underground passages to the convent. After lunch, you cross the Tagus River by boat to reach the evocative Castle of Almourol, a 12th-century fortress rising from a rocky islet, one of Portugal’s most mysterious and photogenic strongholds.

Return to Tomar for the evening.

Travelling north, you stop at Castelo Novo, a beautifully preserved stone village with narrow streets and a timeless atmosphere suspended between history and legend. After lunch, you continue to the Serra da Gardunha, an area renowned for reports of unexplained lights, unidentified aerial phenomena and humanoid sightings, stories that have fuelled decades of speculation. A tasting of local cheeses and cured meats is included, before night falls and you return to the mountains for night observation, where belief, imagination and darkness converge.

Overnight in the Serra da Estrela region.

This morning you visit the Sanctuary of Panóias, an ancient ritual complex carved into rock, dedicated to underworld deities and influenced by eastern cults from Asia Minor. After lunch in Vila Real, you continue to Vilar dos Perdizes, widely regarded as the capital of witchcraft in Portugal. Deeply rooted in mysticism, folklore and ancient traditions, the village blends Celtic, Roman and rural beliefs that still shape local identity today.

Check-in and overnight in the Douro region.

Your journey continues to Monte Mozinho, known as the “Dead City of Penafiel” – a Roman settlement once used for pagan and esoteric rituals, with a curious shape said to resemble the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars . Later, you visit the abandoned Valongo Sanatorium, a former tuberculosis hospital where local stories speak of whispers, footsteps and unexplained echoes lingering within its decaying walls.

In the afternoon, you arrive in Porto and check in to your hotel.

This morning you travel to the coast to visit the Chapel of Senhor da Pedra, dramatically built upon seaside rocks after sightings of a mysterious light believed to signal divine intervention – a site once associated with ancient pagan worship. Back in Porto, you explore the Church of São Francisco, whose magnificent baroque interior contrasts sharply with the austere catacombs beneath, where bones rest beneath glass floors.

Lunch is included, featuring Porto’s iconic francesinha.

The afternoon is dedicated to the city’s cemeteries: Agramonte Cemetery, with its monumental pantheons, and Prado do Repouso, Porto’s first public cemetery and an open-air “museum of death”.

Return to the hotel before a farewell dinner, marking the end of this unforgettable journey.

After breakfast, check out, and you will depart Porto for Lisbon (approximately 3-hour drive). Once you have arrived in Lisbon you will check in to your hotel and the remainder of your day is at leisure, perhaps take this time to explore some spooky spots by yourself, or use it as an opportunity to pick up some souvenirs.

After breakfast, you will check out from the hotel, and be transfereed by bus to Lisbon Airport for your onward departure.

You will stay in a carefully curated selection of high quality hotels chosen for their comfort, character and strategic locations rather than brand recognition. Accommodation is thoughtfully positioned to place you close to historic centres, atmospheric landscapes and key sites, allowing for smooth daily travel and relaxed evenings after full, immersive days of exploration. Rooms are comfortable and well-appointed, providing a calm and welcoming retreat, while shared spaces offer an ideal setting to unwind, reflect on the day’s experiences, or continue conversations with fellow travellers.