Where to Shop and Eat: 6 Farmers Market Tours in Portugal

1.Porto Local Market Visit & Cooking Class / Showcooking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 206 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) Our pick

Meet Nuno, Ana, Maria, or Joseph at Mercado do Bolhão for a guided market visit and ingredient shopping. Then ride the metro over the Luís I Bridge to a clean kitchen in Gaia for a Portuguese showcooking class, lunch, wine, coffee, and pastel de nata. Expect some hands-on tasks, but mostly watch-and-learn cooking.

“The most fun cooking class we’ve done in Europe! We started at Porto’s Mercado do Bolhao. What a great place to start. Sooo clean and friendly and full of Portuguese culture, food and drink. The cooking setting was amazing and reminded us of Chopped. We can’t wait to get home to try the recipes we were taught to make! Anna and Joseph were fantastic!!!!”

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2.Local Market, Food, and Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 40 reviews · from $82

Start at Time Out Market with coffee and pastel de nata, cross to Cacilhas for fish soup and a shrimp pastry, then return for bifana, ginjinha, cheese, wine, and local stories. Your English, Spanish, or Portuguese guide leads a small group of up to 12 through Lisbon’s everyday food culture.

“If you love 'somebody Feedback Phil' you must do this tour. The guide Luis is such a great guide! He reallye gives you insights of the city, the food and the culture. It's a highlight if you vitit the City. So: grap your sneakers, come hungry and enjoy Lisbon with this event.”

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3.Local Market Tour & Cooking Class/Showcooking

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 32 reviews · from $114

Start with Ana at Mercado do Bolhão, where you’ll learn about Portuguese ingredients, vendors, and food history. Then take the metro to Jardim do Morro for city views before joining Ana and Joseph for a relaxed cod-focused showcooking with wine, sausage, olives, Alheira, and pastel de nata. Participation is optional.

“This was a fantastic experience and the highlight of our trip to Porto!!! Thank you soooo much!!!!!!!!!”

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4.Madeira : Santo de Serra Local Farmers’ Market half day trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 26 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $49Best value

Spend 3.5 hours visiting Santo da Serra’s Sunday farmers market, then ride steep Madeira roads in an open-top 4x4. Your guide may be Eduardo or Dino, with commentary in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish. Hotel pickup from Funchal is included, while outer areas cost extra. Expect local food stalls, viewpoints, villages, and a bumpy ride.

“Friendly driver who gave us a guided tour that was very interesting.”

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5.Cooking Class with Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $106

Meet Nuno at his home in Porto, then shop for fresh ingredients at small local markets, a bakery, butcher, or organic garden. Cook a full Portuguese menu from scratch, learn about food, wine, olive oil, and cultural traditions, then sit down to eat with a group of no more than eight.

“Nuno was great! He is so organized and communicated very well before we met him at his home. Right away we headed to the market and picked up some the freshest ingredients for our meal. Nuno cares a lot about the ingredients that go into his meals. Along the way, Nuno explained a lot of Portuguese history to us. We learned a great deal regarding history, wine, food, cooking, and had a lesson in olive oil, as well Together we cooked up appetizers and a delicious entrée of Sebring fish. We learned how to make Pastel de Nata for our dessert. We gathered around his table with wine and enjoyed…”

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6.South of Lisbon: Local Market & Canned Sardines Factory Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 3 hours · from $91

Spend three hours in Setúbal with a private Portuguese, English, or Spanish-speaking guide. Visit Livramento Market, the Jesus Convent, old churches, and a working canned sardines factory. Morning departures are best because the Fisherman’s Market is only included then. Raquel has led especially warm and informative tours.

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