My Simple Portugal Launches Boutique Private Travel

The new founder-led travel company creates privately hosted day trips and tailor-made itineraries from Lisbon, including transfers, accommodation and access to local artisans, vineyards, stud farms and private homes

My Simple Portugal has just launched as a boutique travel company specialising in private, hosted journeys and tailor-made itineraries across central Portugal. Operating from Lisbon into the lesser-visited Ribatejo region, the company arranges full-day trips, multi-day itineraries, private transfers, accommodation and locally hosted activities for individual travellers, couples and small groups.

Founded by former London hotelier and Portugal resident Valeriia Korolenko, whose career includes roles at The Savoy and Four Seasons, My Simple Portugal works directly with local artisans, family-run vineyards, Lusitano horse breeders, farmers, musicians and independent hosts. Its itineraries give travellers access to working studios, private homes, farms and family businesses that sit beyond Portugal’s conventional tourist routes.

Each journey is privately hosted and deliberately small-scale, with transport from Lisbon included. Guests can book one of the company’s signature full-day journeys or work with the team to create a personalised itinerary, combining several experiences with overnight stays at boutique hotels, guesthouses and local properties across the region.

The company’s launch focuses on Ribatejo, located around 45 minutes from Lisbon. Still largely absent from international itineraries, the region is shaped by agriculture, craftsmanship, Lusitano horse culture, traditional food and fado music. My Simple Portugal has built its offering around direct access to the people who preserve and continue these traditions.

Rather than following a fixed sightseeing schedule, the company’s journeys are centred on participation and personal connection. Travellers might spend time inside a ceramicist’s working studio, walk through an olive grove with the family that farms it, visit a Lusitano stud farm or share dinner in the home of a fado singer.

“Some of the most memorable moments I’ve experienced in Portugal happened around a table or in someone’s home,” says Korolenko. “There is a warmth and generosity here, but also a strong sense of identity in the food, the craft and the music. I wanted to create something that allows people to step into that world in a natural way. It’s a region full of colour and stories, and it deserves to be experienced beyond the usual routes.”

Six Signature Journeys Across Central Portugal

As part of its launch, My Simple Portugal has introduced six privately hosted journeys, each exploring a different element of Ribatejo’s culture, landscape and heritage. Artisans of Ribatejo takes guests inside working studios and family homes, while Olive Groves & Vineyards showcases the region through vineyard visits, olive groves and tastings with local producers. Lusitano Horseback Adventures offers time with breeders at a working stud farm and the chance to experience Portugal's iconic Lusitano horses.

River Zêzere Boat & Paddle explores the region from the water with boating, paddleboarding and riverside stops. Fado & Gastronomy brings together traditional cuisine, local culture and live fado, while Culinary Heritage celebrates the region's food traditions through authentic dining experiences and local producers. Each journey is available as a standalone full-day experience from Lisbon or can be combined into a longer, tailor-made itinerary.

For more information, visit mysimpleportugal.com or @mysimpleportugal