Heading to Porto Portugal with Kensington Tours this summer was one of the most interesting trips I've been on. I was drawn to the city's plethora of cafes and restaurants old and new. Naively, before I arrived I thought Porto would be a very small town with lots of old buildings that hasn't seen change in decades; I was genuinely surprised by Porto's modern and contemporary beat. My article on Where to eat and shop in Porto is now live on Untapped Cities.

Each morning, I woke up to a maze of orange-tiled rooftops overlooking a quiet street in Porto. This was followed by a quiet breakfast on the open patio before hitting the streets for the day’s work. I loved that although the hotel was within walking distance of all major sights, it was quiet and serene.

This trip was my first time on a privately guided tour. When Kensington Tours invited me to join them on a privately-guided tour of Portugal, I didn’t really know what to expect. As a photographer, I usually prefer to travel solo so I could slow down whenever I want to - stay longer if I needed to. I like to leave the hotel early in the mornings to photograph the key sights without tourists, and stay late to capture the scene in sunset. Those are not exactly easy habits to accommodate. 

Over the next 4 days, Rogerio drove me around Porto and the northern districts of Portugal in a meticulously planned tour that the Portugal expert at Kensington Tours had arranged. At each stop along the 4-day trip, I explored the area to my heart’s content. In addition to popular attractions, I was chauffeured to lesser-known viewpoints and given private access to privileged areas. I appreciated that I didn’t have to sacrifice a freedom of schedule on a privately guided tour, nor did I get herded from one place to another on a tight schedule. Even if I wanted to sleep in, I would just call Rogerio to pick me up later. From him I learned about the first king of Portugal, the trade with England, and the history of the rooster - a Portuguese national symbol. We talked about politics, religion, the economy, and as the days grew by, I probably learned as much about him as I did Portugal.


My time in Portugal was made possible by Kensington Tours, but they did not suggest that I write a favourable post of my experience or consume more Port wine than humanly possible on my trip.