City: Azores
Top Things to do in Azores
Countries
The 10 Best Historical & Heritage Tours in Azores, Portugal
The nine islands that make up the Azores are in fact the peaks of some of the world's tallest mountains, reaching from deep beneath the Atlantic. The once-uninhabited, volcanic archipelago now hosts thousands of tourists every year who flock to the islands for sun, sand and verdant mountain scenery. From the beaches of Praia da Vitoria to the bustling marina of Horta, to the bubbling volcanic ground "ovens" of Furnas, these islands offer unparalleled--and unusual--adventures to discover.
Restaurants in Azores
1. São Miguel,Azores - explore Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Seven Cities, a place of legends. Seven Cities, perhaps the most emblematic place in San Miguel, this is "only" one of the seven wonders of Portugal. Place of legends and stories, where each one is a King or Queen. This is a place to store through a photograph, or perhaps as someone once said ": no photograph can portray such beauty, I prefer to keep what my eye sees in mind:' Admire the nature and relax on a thermal bath at Fire Lake, prepare yourself for a full day full of surprises.
Inclusions: Local guide, Lunch, Hotel pickup, Hotel drop-off
Exclusions: Gratuities, Thermal pool entrance fees
Reviewed By nadiadD7533WW
I booked a last minute tour with Miguel for a private visit of the Island and it was just wonderful! He was very accommodating, lovely to talk to and willing to make the experience as nice as possible for the client. I had a few places in mind I really wanted to visit and he managed to find a way to take me to all of them. He is also very knowledgeable about the island and had a few anecdotes in his sleeves ;) I truly cannot recommend him enough and will definitely call him again whenever I come back to Ponta Delgada.
2. Private Tour to Fatima, Batalha, Nazare and Obidos from Lisbon
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 15 reviews
Destino Fatima. Visit Cova de Iria, where the sanctuary's place of prayers and monuments are located. Visit the Chapel of the Apparitions, considered the heart of the Sanctuary, built in 1919, in the exact location where the Apparitions took place. In addition to the Chapel of Apparitions you will also visit the complete Sanctuary. Time to pray. Time to buy religious items. Classified in 1983 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Monastery of Batalha is one of the most imposing Gothic monuments in the entire Iberian Peninsula. Enjoy the fantastic panoramic view over the beach of Nazare from Sitio, the highest point of the village. Nazare is a traditional fisherman's village, a summer destination and a big waves surfers paradise. Conclude your tour in Obidos. This fortified village is one of the ex-libris of Portuguese heritage. Obidos will be a surprise for you, since it is a medieval village surrounded by the walls of its Castle.
Inclusions: Private transportation, Driver/Guide, Pickup and drop-off at Hotels and Accommodations in Lisbon, Air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board, Bottled water, Personal accompaniment during the whole day
Exclusions: Lunch, Entrance tickets to monuments, Any additional expenses not covered and agreed in advance
Reviewed By Debra F
Our guide was great!. The tour was very informative and well planned. We enjoyed his knowledge, his company and the tour in general.
3. Furnas Valley Full-Day Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
Furnas is one of the emblematic sites of the island of São Miguel. Get to know the beauty of the Furnas valley, feel the force of nature visiting the boilers and fumaroles and take a bath in the thermal waters.
Inclusions: Local guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected), Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Professional guide, Coffee and/or Tea
Exclusions: Lunch, Gratuities, Entrance to the Terra Nostra Park and the Dona Beija Pool
Reviewed By AnaMatic21
Me and my friend were in Portugal for erasmus. When we went to Azures we didnt have a car or a driving licence so Adriano was our guy who helped us explore the island! He was the best,he showed us more than we expected and also the price was very good. He let us swimm in the pools as much as we want, he is very patient and kind. I recommend it to everyone!
4. BEST VIEW TOUR (Full Day Private Tour)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 30 reviews
An Unique Private Tour. Starts at 8:30 and ends when you want. In this tour you have the opportunity to visit all the most beautiful scenery that this fantastic island has to offer. Start the adventure around the island in relaxed, comfortable and fun atmosphere with us where the most important for us is you. Discover beautiful green landscapes always with the presence of dormant volcanoes in the background and the beautiful clifs in cost lane. If you want to know more information about this tour, please contact us by email. You can also visit this 2 places that are open to public is volcano Algar do Carvão and Christmas Cave. This places are only open in winter on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. In summer every day is open. They are also closed on expecial occasions as Christmas days or special date.
Inclusions: Professional guide, Professional photographer guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Private tour, Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Exclusions: Food and drinks, All Fees and Taxes, Entrance tickets to Algar do Carvão and Gruta do Natal
Reviewed By Cátia S
If you are in Terceira and like a bit of adventure and enjoy off the beaten track activities I highly recommend you to do this tour with Juca. Juca is very knowledgable of the hidden gems on the island and passionate about his work. Also, he makes sure you are safe while visiting the caves. Last but not least, he is passionate about photography and thus, he will take take some really nice shots of you. This was one of the best tours have done so far!
5. ARCHEOLOGY TOUR (Full Day Private Tour)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 7 reviews
Private and You decide what time to end the tour! According to the defined history the Portuguese were the first to discover the Azores. It was discovered in the year 1427, a total of 591 years a go. What you will see on this tour are much older structures with more of 1000 years located in several points of the Island that do not belong to the Portuguese. These structures belong to civilizations Megalithic e Phoenicians. This last one was discovered by us and explored by one team from the National Geographic. To see this structures you need to make some small hikes in the nature. It´s an unique tour! If you want to know more information about this tour, please contact us by email.
Inclusions: Professional guide, Professional photographer guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off, Private tour, Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Exclusions: Food and drinks, All Fees and Taxes, Entrance tickets to Algar do Carvão and gruta do Natal
Reviewed By Cátia S
If you are in Terceira and like a bit of adventure and enjoy off the beaten track activities I highly recommend you to do this tour with Juca. Juca is very knowledgable of the hidden gems on the island and passionate about his work. Also, he makes sure you are safe while visiting the caves. Last but not least, he is passionate about photography and thus, he will take take some really nice shots of you. This was one of the best tours have done so far!
6. Full Day Furnas
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3 reviews
Tour the best that Furnas has to offer. Bath in hot springs, visit beautiful botanical garden Terra Nostra, and explore the 'Cozidos' area, eating traditional foods cooked underground for lunch. Start the tour on the south coast of the island, stopping at several viewpoints along the way. Visit the Furnas calderas to see a big part of the volcanic activity. See the many ways the energy form the volcano is used through the community. After lunch, taste some local liqueurs of the region. On the way back, stop at the beautiful viewpoints of the island. As the final stop, taste some tea at the local Gorreana Tea Factory, before being returned.
Inclusions: Bottled water, Lunch
Exclusions:
Reviewed By rona787
Samuel is incredible. This was without a doubt the best experience we had. Just allow Samuel to run the show and he will take you to the most amazing places and tell you the most fascinating back stories. This is a must!
7. Half Day Furnas
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
This tour goes along the south coast of the island until we reach Furnas crater, where you will see the beautiful lagoon and you will also have the chance to bathe yourself in the hot thermal waters of Furnas. Before returning, we will go to the Calderas area, where you will have the chance to taste some of our delicious liqueurs and the visit the local tea factory.
Inclusions: Bottled water
Exclusions:
Reviewed By randr360
We had two great tours (one 'solo' to Furnas and east, one w/ 3 other random couples to Sete Cidades) with Samuel Rego of Greencorner Tours, who grew up on Sao Miguel. Not only knowledgeable he is a great guy to spend a day with, speaking excellent English and a good conversationalist. He was also a good driver, no small thing with mountainous roads. We would highly recommend seeing Sao Miguel with Sam!
8. Terceira Island Half Day Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Join us on 3 hours of calm and relaxed visiting of the island, mixing culture and beautiful views, we will make the most of this time together, driving by Monte Brasil, the only peninsula of the island, Goat Islet, an underwater volcano, São Sebastião, the first place we populated upon arriving at the island and Serra do Cume, one of the remaining ridges of the biggest caldeira of Azores! The visit to Algar do Carvão is optional and depends on the hour of the tour
Inclusions: Pick up and drop off from the hotel
Exclusions: Ticket to Algar do Carvão
Reviewed By Sayitlikeitisalways
My parents and I spent a marvelous day in February 2020 touring Terceira Island with one of the most informative, outgoing and welcoming tour guide I have ever encountered VitorAguiar([email protected]). He provide an extensive tour around the island and ensured that all the locations we visited and activities did were geared to our needs. The tour started when he picked us up at our hotel and ended in the evening when he dropped us off at the hotel. Duuring the tour he went above and beyond our expectations. He even brought us to his house where he and his wife introduced us to the local porto wine. After we expressed an interest in buying some wine he drove us to a supermarket where we stocked up on some wonderful wine at an inexpensive price. To this day my father enjoy Portuguese wine with his meals . Vitor's private tour around the island was a really enjoyable welcome to Terciera. It is definitely value for the price.
9. Terceira Island Full Day Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Embark with us on a journey through Terceira Island, highlighting the most beautiful views, villages and volcanos! See the island through our eyes, unveil the culture, history and grandeur of our island, while involving yourself in all of what nature has to give!
Inclusions: Pick up and drop off at the hotel, Lunch
Exclusions: Tickets to the Algar do Carvão and Gruta do Natal
Reviewed By Sayitlikeitisalways
My parents and I spent a marvelous day in February 2020 touring Terceira Island with one of the most informative, outgoing and welcoming tour guide I have ever encountered VitorAguiar([email protected]). He provide an extensive tour around the island and ensured that all the locations we visited and activities did were geared to our needs. The tour started when he picked us up at our hotel and ended in the evening when he dropped us off at the hotel. Duuring the tour he went above and beyond our expectations. He even brought us to his house where he and his wife introduced us to the local porto wine. After we expressed an interest in buying some wine he drove us to a supermarket where we stocked up on some wonderful wine at an inexpensive price. To this day my father enjoy Portuguese wine with his meals . Vitor's private tour around the island was a really enjoyable welcome to Terciera. It is definitely value for the price.
10. Banana Trip, a Full day tour at Pico with Round Trip from Faial island
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
The Banana Trip is a full day cultural tour in Pico island. Usually, we focus on the South coast of Pico island. We will learn about the wine culture and the UNESCO World Heritage vineyards landscape. And we will better understand the importance of the Azores Whaling culture, by visiting a few heritage sites, like the Whaling Museum. A traditional lunch is included at Lajes village. In between, we will appreciate several natural tide pools and visit the interior of the island, Pico Central Plateau. We call it Banana Trip, because the final goal is to visit our own banana plantation. To check and see if there’s a ripe bunch of bananas, ready to harvest. The Banana Trip is a private cultural tour in Pico island that offers an exclusive experience. The price includes all expenses from Faial island and back.
Inclusions: Lunch, Private transportation, Ferry tickets, Certified local guide
Exclusions: Snacks, Bottled water
Reviewed By claudiasusanap2021
We did an half day tour in Faial with Pedro Escobar! It was a wonderful trip with so much information about nature and the island features! Faial is a lovely island with diversity and unique spots. I would highly recommend this trip and Our Island team. Pedro is a great guide and we can see he puts his heart and passion in what he does.
