-Day 1 Start tour
Day 2 Olá Lisbon
Meet your tour director and check into hotel
Details: Lisbon city walk
This port city was once the entrance point for exotic wares from the far-flung corners of Asia, Africa and the Americas. Get lost in the Alfama, a maze of streets where houses are so close together, you can spread your arms and touch the buildings on both sides of the street! Stroll along the cobblestone pedestrian malls and Lisbon's main street, the Avenida da Liberdade.
Day 3 Lisbon--Porto
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima visit
Details: Travel to Porto via Coimbra & Fátima
Portugal's biggest university town, Coimbra has been a center of learning since 1290, when the country's first college was founded here. Fátima draws pilgrims rather than students. In 1917, three children saw several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a field here, and the enormous basilica that was built in her honor attests to the continuing flood of pilgrims who visit the city each year.
Details: Coimbra University visit
History, tradition and charm. The University of Coimbra is the oldest Portuguese university and for centuries was the only university in Portugal. In June 2013, UNESCO classified it as World Heritage Site and during your time on campus you’ll quickly understand why
Details: University Library visit
Built between 1717 and 1728, the University Library is also known as the Baroque Library in honor of King John V (1707-1750), who sponsored its construction and whose portrait, made by Domenico Duprà (1725), dominates the ornate space.
Details: Royal Palace visit
The original chapel dates back presumably to the 11th century, built right after the conquest of the city from the Moors in 1064, just before the foundation of Portugal. It is dedicated to St. Michael, like all Portuguese Royal Chapels, because of his role in defeating the forces of evil.
The Royal Palace. Purchased by the University from the Royal Family in 1597, the Royal Palace is where the most iconic rooms of the University are located, and where the most important traditional academic ceremonies take place.
Day 4 Porto landmarks
Details: Porto guided sightseeing tour
Portugal's second largest city bustles with commerce, but its spectacular bridges (one designed by a disciple of Gustave Eiffel) and picturesque Ribeira district continue to draw visitors from around the world. Start your tour along the riverfront, where bright houses and intricate balconies rise haphazardly over narrow cobblestone streets. Continue on to the Church of São Francisco, whose plain exterior belies the dripping-with-gold Baroque magnificence of the interior. The Sé (cathedral) is only slightly less elaborate, with marble and stone substituting for gold leaf. The silver altarpiece in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and the typically Portuguese azulejos (tiles) add to the beauty.
Day 6 Porto--Lisbon
Travel to Lisbon
Details: Scenic drive through the Douro Valley
Admire the world's most beautiful wine region as you make your way from Porto to Peso da Régua, through the terraced hillsides at the heart of the Douro Valley.
Day 7 Lisbon landmarks
Details: Lisbon guided sightseeing tour
See the Castelo de São Jorge, a castle dating back to the Middle Ages, which sits formidably overlooking the city and its port. The Monument to the Navigators, dedicated to various important figures in Portugal’s history, depicts Henry the Navigator, and other explorers on top of a caravel, the standard Portuguese ship used for sailing expeditions. Take an elevator to the top of the monument for an impressive view of the city. Finally, travel to the vast Jerónimos Monastery, an awe-inspiring structure that is considered to be one of the most prominent monuments in Lisbon.
Details: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos visit
Tour the Jerónimos Monastery, a monastery ordered by Manuel the Fortunate to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. The monastery is one of Portugal’s finest examples of Manueline architecture that combines flamboyant Gothic and Moorish influences with elements of the nascent Renaissance. The church features tombs of many of the great figures in Portuguese history, including Vasco da Gama.
Day 8 Sintra & Cascais
Details: Sintra & Cascais guided excursion
One of the oldest and most lovely towns in Portugal, with sleepy hillside villas and luxuriant flowering vegetation, Sintra was the favorite spot of Portuguese kings and queens. The poet Byron considered it "glorious Eden". See the National Palace, classified as a national monument because of its regal architecture. The Palace consists of several styles – Gothic, Mudejar, Manueline and Renaissance. Make special note of the amazingly colorful glazed tiles (azulejos). Visit the luxury resort town of Cascais and see the citadel that once served as a summer home for the King of Spain in the 16th century.
Details: Fado evening
Portugal's version of the Blues, Fado means "fate" or "destiny," and its songs generally tell the tale of lost love or glory. Head to a Fado house in the Bairro Alto and see the singers swathed in black, accompanied by 12-stringed guitars, crooning their hearts out.
Day 9 Start Extension to Algarve
Travel to Algarve via Evora
Evora City WalkTemplo de Diana, Igreja de Sao Joao Evangelista, Capela dos Ossos
Details: Evora City Walk
Hit the ruins. One of the grandest cities in Portugal, Évora shows off the country's best-preserved Roman temple as well as an imposing city filled with medieval churches, convents, and palaces.
Day 10 Algarve--Lisbon
Travel to Lisbon
Details: Algarve free time
You'll find plenty to occupy your senses on the country's southern coast, known as "Portugal's Garden." Delight in fragrant almond, fig, lemon, and pomegranate trees, the sound of the surf pounding the best beaches in Portugal, Moorish and Roman ruins that create a fantastical visual setting, and the seafood available in the area's historical fishing villages.
Tour Includes:
- 7 overnight stays (9 with extension) in hotels with private bathrooms
- Full European breakfast daily
- Dinner daily
- Full-time services of a professional tour director
- Guided sightseeing tours & city walks as per itinerary
- Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
- Tour Diary™
- Local Guide and Local Bus Driver tips; see note regarding other important tips
- Note: On arrival day only dinner is provided; on departure day, only breakfast is provided
- Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees, or fees for any required passport or visa. Optional excursions, optional pre-paid Tour Director and multi-day bus driver tipping, among other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included.
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