How It Started
Random Portugal was born out of a very specific frustration: watching thousands of visitors arrive in Lisbon, get herded onto the same overcrowded routes, eat at the same overpriced tourist restaurants near the main squares, and leave thinking they'd seen the city. They hadn't.
They'd seen the postcard. Not the city.
Dyego Gaspar — the founder of Random Portugal — moved to Lisbon ten years ago and never left. He fell in love with the city the way you only can when you arrive as an outsider and choose to stay. For years he'd been answering questions from travellers — friends of friends, people in Facebook groups, strangers at hostels who could tell he actually knew his way around. Every question was the same: "Where should I really go? What should I really eat? What would someone who truly knows this city do?"
"There was a moment when I realised the answer to all those questions was the same tour I'd take my own family on. So I decided to offer that — just that — to everyone who visits."
Random Portugal started as a newsletter (you can still find it at Portugal by a Random Guide on Substack) and grew into a full tourism operation offering Daily experiences, private experiences, and day trips from Lisbon.
What "Random" Actually Means
The name raises eyebrows. Random Portugal? Why random?
Because that's how Lisbon actually works best. Not with a rigid schedule and a laminated map, but with a willingness to turn down the street that smells like grilled fish, to sit at the bar because a stranger looked interesting, to follow the sound of Fado until you find the tiny restaurant it's coming from.
"Random" doesn't mean unplanned — Our Experiences are carefully designed. It means we embrace the unexpected. It means the best moments on any tour are the ones nobody planned.
What We Believe
We believe that tourism should leave people feeling richer — in experiences, in understanding, in genuine connection to a place. Not poorer in patience after three hours on a coach with a microphone.
We keep our groups small. We avoid the tourist traps. We take you to the places we'd take our own family. And we're always honest — if something isn't worth your time, we'll tell you.
