We will visit:

BAIXA (DOWNTOWN), Sites: Park Edward VII, Avenida da Liberdade, Squares of Rossio and Restauradores, St. Dominic's Church (18th century), Ginjinha, Baixa Pombalina (Pombaline Downtown), Praça do Comércio.

QUARTER ALFAMA, Sites: Lisbon Cathedral (12th century), Viewpoint Portas do Sol, St. George Castle

Visit the modern art district of PARQUE DAS NAÇÕES / EXPO: This is the most modern quarter of Lisbon. A quarter with lots of contemporary architecture. We’ll have a stroll around and a cable car ride to take pictures of Lisbon Oceanarium, Alameda dos Oceanos, Lisbon Casino, Portugal Pavilion, Oriente Train Station from Architect Santiago Calatrava, Atlantic Pavilion where major concerts are hosted, Europe’s biggest bridge Vasco da Gama.

Hotel | Lisbon

QUARTER BELEM: Jeronimos Monastery (16th century), Belem Tower (16th century), Monument of Discoveries (20th century), Traditional Milk Custard Tarts of Belém Pastéis de Belém (19th century), Royal Palace of Ajuda (19th century).

In the morning, we visit the historic centre of Sintra, with visit to the traditional narrow streets full of flowers and local craft shops, viewpoints, with compulsory stop at the traditional sweets and Ginjinha (cherry liqueur).

We start with cultural tour with NATIONAL PALACE OF SINTRA, unique example of medieval palaces in Portugal. From the earliest dynasties, Sintra was a favorite spot for the Portuguese kings. Its interior tell not one, but several stories of Portugal. The decor has great value, combining furniture, paintings and tiles. Outside we see the two large conical kitchen chimneys with 108 feet high, a symbol of Sintra.

Guided tour to REGALEIRA PALACE AND GARDENS, a place with a spirit of its own. Built in the early 20th century, a taste of the romantic style, rises in the middle of the forest, and is the result of the a mythological dream of its owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro. 

We start the afternoon with the oldest monument of Sintra, the MOORISH CASTLE, located on the ridges of the Serra de Sintra, the castle dates back to the time of the Muslims in Portugal, 8th century. Reconquered by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, in 1147. The panoramic view from the top of the castle is amazing!

Finish the day with a guided tour to PENA ROYAL PALACE, in the top10 of the most beautiful palaces in the world! A real enchanted palace. One of the most beautiful examples of the romantic revival of the 19th century. Built on the site of a former convent of friars from the Order of St. Jerome. A fantasy from King Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha. A palace with a complexity of styles: neo-Gothic, neo-Manueline, neo-Islamic and neo-Renaissance.

Hotel | Lisbon

Topped by an imposing cathedral, ÉVORA is laid out over a gently sloping hill rising out of the huge Alentejo plain. It guards its historic centre with a vast outer wall and represents a valuable cultural legacy that UNESCO has classified World Heritage. The city, with its narrow streets of Moorish origin contrasting with squares where the light floods in, holds two millennia of history. Conquered in 59 B.C. by the Romans, they named it Liberalitas Julia. After the Reconquest, in addition to between the inner and outer walls, urban development moved beyond the city's walls. The city was home to the court of various Portuguese kings of the first and second dynasties. During this period it was endowed with various palaces and monuments, particularly during the reigns of kings João II and Manuel (15th and 16th centuries). 

Walk in its historic center and feel the beauty of its medieval whitewashed streets, with yellow/blue stripes. Discover iconic landmarks such as the Palace of King Manuel, São Francisco Church and its Bones Chapel, Geraldo Square, the Cathedral from the 13th century, the Roman Temple from the 1st century, the Royal Jesuit University and the Church of Graça.

Start the day with a visit to a CORK FACTORY, where you can discover the transformation process of raw cork into the final products that are sold throughout Portugal. Portugal is the world's leading manufacturer of cork and represents 53% of world production. In addition, the cork oak plantation area corresponds to 25% of its distribution worldwide. Although cork bottle stoppers are the most familiar object, many other things are made of cork, especially in areas where it grows as Alentejo, where 72% of total production is concentrated. You can find many items like accessories, shoes and clothes made of this material, which has some very appreciated properties as that is robust, versatile, recyclable, and hypoallergenic and contains thermal qualities.

ARRAIOLOS | TOUR IN WINERY & OLIVE OIL FARM: Visit a Traditional Portuguese winery with noble origins. Walk in its vineyards, cellar, carriages museum, mansion and gardens, finish with a tasting of some of the best Portuguese wines and Olive Oil in Alentejo.

Hotel | Lisbon

OBIDOS is a charming and picturesque medieval village, with white washed houses decorated with flowers. Captured from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1148, though already occupied before the Romans reached the Iberian Peninsula, the village became prosperous from the time it was chosen by the royal family, when the King Dinis offered it as wedding gift to his wife Isabel, in the 14th century. Full of flowers, many medieval monuments and beautiful panoramic views are found here, relax yet in a medieval bar while enjoying the famous local liqueur Ginjinha, served in a chocolat cup.

Time to relax in the beach of SÃO MARTINHO DO PORTO, the sands here continue for an approximate 3 kilometers forming a shell shape around the sheltered bay that is home to São Martinho do Porto Beach. The calm sea represents the perfect conditions for both children and nautical sports such as windsurfing, sailing and canoeing.

NAZARÉ is blessed with magnificent light, pleasing sun, fine white sand and hospitable locals. The seven colorful skirts worn by Nazaré women have been worn since the days when they used to wait for their husbands to return from the day's fishing trip. But today the town is defined more by the waves that attract surfers and body-boarders and the beautiful underwater landscapes that attract divers. The lovely cove is protected by high cliffs, atop which the Sítio da Nazaré offers a memorable view.

ALCOBAÇA: Monastery or Royal Abbey of Santa Maria, founded by the Order of Cistercians in 1153. Building began in 1178 on land donated by Dom Afonso Henriques, the first King of Portugal to the Order of Cistercians, in fulfilment of a vow made after the Christian reconquest of Santarém. Testify the magnificent gothic tombs of the two lovers King Pedro and Ines de Castro.

BATALHA: Built in 1386 to keep a vow by Portuguese King Dom João I to the Virgin Mary that he would build it if Portugal defeated Castile at the Battle of Aljubarrota on 14th August 1385. The Monastery of Batalha, a masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic, is a magnificent piece of architecture that combines various influences from its lengthy period of construction, which lasted several reigns. Outstanding in the interior are the Founders' Chapel with its fine stained-glass windows, the cloisters, the Unfinished Chapels with their Manueline and Flemish Gothic features and the Chapter House.

FÁTIMA: Visit to the Santuary of Fátima. The apparitions of Fátima have developed immensely the local town into one of the largest centers of Marian cult in the world. The major manifestations of devotees are hold at May 13 and 13 October. This Marian pilgrimage center evokes the apparitions of our Lady to three Shepherd children Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, occurred in 1917 and recognized in 1930. 

Hotel | Fátima / Mira d' Aire

COIMBRA: Capital of Beira Litoral, of Roman origin Aeminium, was also the former capital of the Portuguese Kingdom. One of the most beautiful cities of Portugal, preserved several historical monuments, medieval churches and the most important library in Portugal! Coimbra, situated on the bank River Mondego, in the geographical center of Portugal, has plenty of charm in its academic streets, narrow, with small courtyards, arches and floral eaves, cafes, galleries and bookstores. Take a guided walking tour in its historic centre, as this is the best way to explore the old town. We start at the University of Coimbra (1290), to the Old Cathedral (1162), New Cathedral (1598), Academic Neighborhood, Almedina, Igreja de São Tiago, Igreja de Santa Cruz (1131). Free time for shopping and regional sweets.

AVEIRO: next to the sea and the ria (estuary), is crossed by a network of channels through which moliceiros (local boats) meander. These slim, colourful vessels used to be used to collect algae and seaweed, and today are for sightseeing trips. Visiting on foot does not mean too much effort either since the city is flat. In the 16th century, the development of the salt industry, agriculture and fishing and the first cod-fishing expeditions to the distant Newfoundland in 1501 brought Aveiro a period of great prosperity, which led to its being awarded a charter by D. Manuel I in 1515. Aveiro has also a number of buildings in Art Nouveau style that are worth seeing.

Hotel | Porto

PORTO: Capital and gateway to the north of Portugal, Porto is both the city that provided a nation with a name and a fortified wine known world-wide: Port Wine.

With its splendid geographical location on the mouth of the river Douro and an architectural heritage of exceptional quality, the historic center of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996. Porto is the capital of the North and the second largest city in the country; its hard-working inhabitants are noted for their commercial enterprise, always standing firm against outside impositions and foreign invaders, which explains why Porto has become known as the «unvanquished» city.

In this Porto Day tour we will visit the most important sites of this old city.

Take a guided tour the Port Wine Old Cellars with a special tasting of these wines.

Admire the typical granite houses and monuments, with all the rhythms of city life, its movement and intense retailing, the main square of Av. Aliados, the highest tower in the city of Clerigos, the church of Sao Francisco all furnished with gold leaf, the world famous bookstore Livraria Lello, the ultra modern Casa da Musica building, the Atlantic fortress of Castelo do Queijo, the old Cathedral, the Palacio da Bolsa (Chamber of Commerce), Ribeira (Riverside), and a river cruise under the city’s six bridges, from where you can enjoy an entirely different view of the city. 

Hotel | Porto

GUIMARÃES: For Portuguese people, Guimarães has a very special symbolic value, for it was in a field close to the walls of its castle that D. Afonso Henriques fought the Battle of São Mamede, on 24 June 1128. By emerging victorious from this struggle against the army of D. Teresa, his mother and the daughter of Alfonso VI of León and Castile, Afonso Henriques began the process that would lead to the foundation of the kingdom of Portugal, of which he was to become the first king. Therefore begin by visiting the site known as Colina Sagrada (Sacred Hill), crowned by Guimarães Castle, itself full of so many evocative memories, as well as the small Romanesque church of São Miguel. According to tradition, it was in this modest church that Afonso Henriques was baptized in the font that can still be seen inside.  In the immediate vicinity is the Ducal Palace, now both a palace and a museum, originally built in the 15th century. After visiting these important points of reference to the time of the foundation of Portugal, you should stroll down into Guimarães, where we suggest you choose the Largo da Oliveira, the very heart of the historical Centre.

All visitors to AMARANTE will most certainly be impressed by two imposing natural features: the great Serra do Marão rising above the city in a series of majestic landscapes and the river Tâmega, the longest tributary of the river Douro, whose journey begins in Galicia and which flows through the heart of Amarante, giving added colour to the picturesque houses standing on its banks. The bridge at Amarante perpetuates the memory of the local populationŽs heroic resistance against Napoleon's troops, who invaded Portugal in the early 19th century. 

Amarante's sweets and cakes are extremely famous and easy to find in many of the region's cake-shops and cafés.

The highlight of Amarante town is the Convent of Saint Gonçalo, founded by king D. João III in 1540. This convent is a pilgrimage destination to all single ladies who are looking forward to meet their charming price in the near future.

 LUNCH

We continue our way towards the great Douro Valley passing through some small hilltop villages with granite espigueiros (granaries used for drying and storing corn), breathtaking landscape and then going down towards the Douro River, where the vines grow in terraces on the banks of the river, lending great beauty to the landscape, with large estates and manor houses.

 In the DOURO VALLEY (UNESCO), we’ll visit a family winery famous for producing famous Red table wines and Green Table Wines, a light chilled wine only produced in this area with Alvarinho grape variety.

Classified a world heritage site, the man gave birth to port wine and table wines of great quality. Port wine is the oldest Ambassador of Portugal. Cultivated in terraces of the Douro, has the honor to belong to one of the oldest demarcated regions in the world, since in 1756 was created the General Company of Agriculture and Vineyards of the Alto Douro. Here was also born the Douro table wines, which in recent decades have acquired great notoriety and border projection thanks to their quality, both in the reds as the whites and rosés. Green in summer, fire color in autumn, the Vineyard has given rise to a unique landscape classified by Unesco.

Hotel | Douro Valley

Former seat of the Order of the Knights Templar, TOMAR is a city of great charm for its artistic and cultural wealth, whose greatest expression is in the Convent of Christ, one of the chief works of the Portuguese Renaissance. The development of Tomar is closely linked to the Order of the Templars, which received these lands in 1159 as a reward for the assistance they gave Dom Afonso Henriques (the First King of Portugal) in the Christian reconquest of the territory.

It was Dom Gualdim Pais, the first Grand Master of the Order in Portugal, who founded the castle and the remarkable CONVENT OF CHRIST inside. Enlarged and altered over the centuries, this retains the influences of various architectural styles; it is the centrepiece of the city and classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

The Order of the Templars was suppressed in France in the early 14th century, but in Portugal it was transformed into the Order of Christ on the initiative of King Dom Dinis. This was subsequently approved by the Pope, and it was decided that the immense wealth they possessed should pass to the Order of Christ, which came to play an important part in the historic Portuguese Discoveries.

Hotel | Lisbon