The 14 Best Portugal Tea Experiences

1.Furnas: Tea Plantations, Lake and Volcano Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 511 reviews · 8 hours · from $70Our pick

Join a small group of up to eight for an eight-hour tour from Ponta Delgada to Gorreana Tea Plantation, Furnas, Terra Nostra Park, volcanic calderas, Furnas Lake, Vila Franca do Campo, and an Azorean pineapple farm. Guides such as André, Mario, and Leandra bring local history and humor to the day.

“Amazing tour. I don’t usually go on day tours but it is impossible to visit the highlights of the island without your own transport. Having our guide Andre enriched our experience massively. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional . The tour was exactly as described, with comfortable transportation. Would 100% recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Furnas Volcano & Tea Plantation Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 375 reviews · 8 hours · from $83

Spend eight hours exploring São Miguel with a guide such as Joaquim, João, José, or Nuno. Visit Gorreana Tea Factory, watch Furnas stew cook underground, taste local waters, and soak in Terra Nostra’s thermal pool. Hotel pickup, lunch, drinks, and a group of up to eight are included.

“Joaquin was a great guide. The trip was a great mix of information, beautiful vistas and wonderful food. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Furnas Volcano & Tea Plantation With Traditional Lunch, East Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 183 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $90Top rated

Spend about eight hours exploring São Miguel’s east side with a driver-guide such as Joaquim, Bruno, João, or José. Visit Gorreana Tea Plantation, watch cozido stew being lifted from volcanic soil, eat lunch in Furnas, and choose an optional soak at Terra Nostra Park.

“Joao is excellent guide, had very nice trip. Would recommend this tour and tour operator. Thank you for great experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Furnas: Volcano Wonders, Tea Plantation & Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 161 reviews · 8 hours · from $75

Spend a full day with an English- or Portuguese-speaking guide such as João, Andrea, or Diogo, visiting Santa Iria, Gorreana Tea Factory, Ribeira dos Caldeirões, Furnas, and Vila Franca do Campo. Tea tasting is included; lunch and thermal bathing cost extra.

“This was such a nice experience. I especially loved the tea factory, which had a beautiful garden and I learned how black, white and green tea come from the same plant. I was the only participant that day and Andrea, my guide, really went above and beyond to make it a special day even though it was foggy around Furnas and the hot springs in the garden there where out for maintenance. She showed me lots of great spots, was very nice to talk to and also gave me space and time to explore on my own. It was such a nice day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Adventure in the Furnas, with volcanoes, lagoons and tea plantations

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $78

Spend 7 to 8 hours exploring São Miguel’s volcanic east in a small group of up to eight. With guides such as André, Melissa, Julio, Rafael, and Miguel, you’ll visit Furnas, Gorreana Tea Plantation, Terra Nostra, a pineapple farm, and Pico do Ferro. Lunch and thermal entry cost extra.

“Amazing tour. Melissa, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable. At every stop along the way she shared the history of the island, villages and overlook area.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.2-Day Island Tour, Tea & Pineapple Plantation

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 113 reviews · from $132

See São Miguel by minibus over two full days, covering Sete Cidades, Lagoa do Fogo, Furnas, and Nordeste. Visit pineapple and tea plantations, taste local food, and hear island stories from guides such as João, Diogo, Andrea, and Vera. Pickup is included from Ponta Delgada, Lagoa, and Ribeira Grande.

“I went on this tour last Monday and Tuesday. It was a great experience, I was able to see a lot during these two days. João was an excellent guide and was able to tell us a lot about the island(s). His female colleague (sorry, I've forgotten her name) was also very friendly, but you could tell that she wasn't that experienced in this profession (she didn't tell as much, was a bit unkempt and wasn't as good with people as João). The attractions we visited were very extensive and gave me a good overview of the island. However, I would have preferred a more active tour with a bit…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Furnas: Thermal Springs & Tea Plantation Day Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 55 reviews · 8 hours · from $88

Travel from Ponta Delgada, Lagoa, Ribeira Grande, or Vila Franca do Campo to Furnas for Terra Nostra Park, volcanic boilers, a traditional cozido lunch, and Gorreana tea. Guide Gonçalo has been praised for his friendly care, while the tour also includes coastal viewpoints and hotel transport.

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Furnas : Volcano Wonders, Tea Plantation & Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $77

Spend about eight hours exploring São Miguel with a local guide and a maximum of eight people. Visit Santa Iria viewpoint, Gorreana Tea Factory, Ribeira dos Caldeirões, Furnas, and Lagoa das Furnas. Lunch, Terra Nostra, and Caldeira das Furnas admission cost extra.

“It was a wonderful trip! Interesting. An excellent guide, he is also a driver. I recommend everyone to go!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Full-Day Furnas Tour: Hot Springs, Traditional Lunch & Tea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $119

Spend about eight hours exploring São Miguel with a guide such as Leandro or Tiago. Visit Furnas Lake, bubbling springs, Terra Nostra’s thermal pool, Pico do Ferro, and Gorreana Tea Factory, with underground-cooked Cozido lunch included.

“Awesome trip through the island with our guide Leandro, we visited beautiful spots and lakes. In between visits, we had fun anecdotes. The food tasted was good and local. Definitely recommend it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Full Day: Furnas, Tea Plantations & More With Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 1 day · from $88

Spend a full day touring São Miguel in a small group of up to eight. With local guide Eric or another multilingual guide, you’ll visit Caloura, Vila Franca do Campo, Furnas Lake, the thermal pools, and Europe’s only tea plantations, with a volcanic Cozido lunch included.

“My wife and I chose to take the full day tour to see much of Sao Miguel Island and to experience the thermal pool as well as the Cozido das Furnas. Our tour guide Eric could not have been more amazing. On our day we only had one other couple with us, so it was like we had a personal tour. Eric was so personable and friendly from the get go, he even reached out the day before to check in. Eric was born and raised on the island and was very knowledgeable. We ended up having an amazing day touring Sao Miguel Island. The pictures do not do justice…”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Half day Gorreana – Pedestrian Walk and Tea Tasting (Min. 2 persons)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $66Best value

Travel from Ponta Delgada to Gorreana for a 3.4-kilometer plantation walk, a factory visit, and tea tasting with traditional biscuits. Guides such as Miguel, André, Vasco, and Manuel are praised for explaining São Miguel’s history, plants, and tea production. Expect some steep walking and a simple tasting.

“My guide Manuel was great. Nice challenging hike up plantation. I enjoyed tasting 3 delicious teas with cookie. He was very informative. He even gave me quick car tour of historical center and even recommended wonderful local places for lunch. I highly recommend this excursion.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Furnas Volcano, Lake, Geysers, Tea Plantation and Terra Nostra

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $155

Join Carlos of Azores Like Locals for a five-hour private tour from Ponta Delgada to Gorreana Tea Plantation, Furnas Lake, geysers, Terra Nostra, and coastal viewpoints. Expect flexible timing, local insight, pickup across much of São Miguel, and extra fees for park and cooking-pod entry.

“Great communication and a wonderful private tour! Carlod was at the cruise dock at the time we had agreed on and we spent the day with im exploring this beautiful island. His English is perfect (he lived in the US) and he is very knowledgeable and loves the island. We were ahead of the buses from the cruise line and had a lot of time to look and explore. Yes, we would book with him again in a heart beat.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Full day Furnas | Hotsprings | Thermal Baths | Tea Factory

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 7 reviews · 7.5 hours · from $82

Spend 7.5 hours touring São Miguel with a Portuguese, English, or Spanish-speaking guide. See Furnas fumaroles, Furnas Lake, Pico do Ferro, Terra Nostra Park, Vila Franca do Campo, Cerâmica Vieira, and Gorreana Tea Factory. Lunch and transport are included, but entrance fees are extra.

“Lo mejor el conductor Joao. Lo peor fue que no se podía entrar en las termas y en la plantación de te no nos hicieron tour por la fábrica ni por las plantaciones.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Fire Lake, Pineapple & Tea: Half-Day Jeep Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · from $91

Meet your guide at your hotel or accommodation for a four-hour jeep tour around São Miguel. Visit Lagoa do Fogo, Gorreana Tea Plantation, Ribeira Grande’s fumaroles, Santa Bárbara Beach, and A Arruda Pineapple Plantation. English, Spanish, and Portuguese guides are available, including Louis.

“J'ai trouvé les guides super gentils, très intormatifs et intéressant! Avec ce tour de Ribeira Grande, on a pu voir de très nombreuses belles vues et expériences!”

Check availability →Read our full review