Journalist Sara Lopes

At just 16 years old, Rui Terroso, born in Barcelos, already knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. He always considered himself a creative person, but he didn't know exactly what area he should focus on. When he finished his degree in Management, in Porto, he had three hypotheses in mind: online wine distribution; distribution of newspapers and magazines by subscription; or a business related to tourism. He chose the last one.

It was the year 2000 and tourism in Porto “was practically non-existent”, but even so, Rui decided to take a risk — and it was a winning bet. He founded the company Living Tours at the time of Euro 2004 in Portugal, and started with excursions and tours in the North of the country, dedicated to historical and cultural heritage.

“I am enormously proud of Portugal and I wanted to show it to the world. I used the European football championship as a kick-off to show the best we have. It’s been my purpose ever since,” the 48-year-old entrepreneur reveals to NiT.

It all started in the North, with departures from Porto to Douro, Minho and Aveiro, but the offer increased over the years, through a wide network of national and international partnerships. Currently, the company already has more than 2,500 tours throughout the Iberian Peninsula, but only now, on March 18th — and in the year in which it celebrates 20 years of activity —, has it started its own operation in Lisbon.

Living Tours has been organizing tours in the capital since 2011, but always with other local partners. Now, the company will be physically in the city, a need it has felt for a few years. “In 2023 we did an international promotion, all over the world, and many of our partner operators told us to open operations in Lisbon and that's what we did”, confesses Rui.

This move to the city also inspired the creation of new itineraries, with regular operations and customized services for small groups. Experiences linked to history, architecture and gastronomy are reserved for the cities of Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais or Óbidos, while Arrábida or Comporta promise to conquer with their landscapes, horse riding experiences and wine tastings.

Wine tourism has always been one of the best-selling products — and Rui admits that there is a new tour in particular that is being a success: the Sintra Wine Tour. The nine-hour guided tour will take you to explore the historic center of the town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Pena Palace, a true fairytale setting.

One of the highlights of the tour is the visit to a wine estate with a century-old cellar, where the winemaking, bottling and aging processes will be explained. At the end, there will be time to taste the wines. The new tour is now available online and, until May 31st, costs €81 per person.

With the start of its own operation in Lisbon, the company also began organizing itineraries that include two or three cities in one day, such as Sintra, Nazaré and Fátima. For those looking for activities more in the middle of nature, the founder of Living Tours confesses that the “Comporta tour is spectacular”.

The trip, which costs €71.20, includes discovering the Arrábida Natural Park and its fantastic viewpoints, a visit to the Livramento de Setúbal Market, a ferry ride and a prestigious wine tasting, as well as diving at the famous beach from Comporta.

From the capital, routes will also be made to Fátima, to respond to the great demand for religious tourism, and Nazaré, the surfing destination that has been growing in recent years. All Living Tours proposals are available on the website.

“Since our foundation, we have always been innovating and every year we launch something new. In addition to the operation in Lisbon, we are now launching Living Events, more in the area of ​​corporate events”, says the person in charge.

Check out the full interview here.