Highlights of Portugal

Our trip begins in Lisbon, founded on seven hills overlooking the estuary of the River Tagus, the city became the capital of Portugal after its conquest from the Moors in 1147. As Portugal built a global empire from the 15th century onwards, Lisbon became the hub of international trade and the heart of this maritime Golden Age of discovery, reflected in the monumental architecture. A devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami almost totally destroyed the capital in 1755 and therefore Lisbon appears as a carefully planned 18th century city. The Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6.30pm for the welcome meeting and to take us on a short walk to get our measure of Lisbon. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS), which is a 15 minute drive from the city centre. Please note that if you wish to join the city walk today, you must arrive at the hotel by 7pm. If you are booking your own flights, we recommend giving yourself at least one hour to clear the airport. From the airport to the hotel is a 15 minute drive, so therefore the latest your flight can arrive is 5.45pm. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

Our morning walking tour takes us through some of the different bairros (neighbourhoods) of Lisbon as an introduction to this great city (approx. four hours). Built on seven hills, you can see the typical trams negotiate the undulations of Lisbon's cobbled streets, and the varied and interesting buildings throughout the city never fail to impress. We walk up Alfama Hill and enjoy the views across the River Tagus from the Miradouro da Santa Luzia viewpoint before continuing our walk through the Bairro Alto. In the course of the morning your tour Leader will also find a place to try Ginjinha, a local liqueur made from sour cherries, which is an acquired taste. The morning will end at the Time Out Market, where there are is a variety of Portuguese food, sweets, and drinks on offer in this traditional food hall. The afternoon has been left free for further exploration of Lisbon and the Tour Leader can happily help with suggestions such visiting the fascinating MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) or jumping on a local ferry across the Tagus to Cacilhas which has a working port feel, restaurants serving a fish or seafood lunch, and excellent views back across to Lisbon proper. If you want to head out of the city, you may choose to take a metro to Lisbon's Rossio Station for the 40 minute train ride to the hills and palaces of Sintra. Originally started as a summer escape from the heat of Lisbon, royalty built palaces and gardens in the lush hills of Sintra and the aristocracy followed. Highlights include King Ferdinand II's Pena Palace or the Quinta Regaleira with its ornate Gothic facade and enchanting gardens. If you wish to explore Sintra at a more replaced pace you might consider taking the whole day tomorrow (day 3) to spend longer to walk into hills of Montserrate and visit Castelo dos Mouro.

This morning we drive to Belem to explore the bairros west of the town centre on foot, passing the Jeronimo Monastery to reach Belem tower (approx. two hours). The rest of the day is left free for further exploration of Lisbon, and while in Belem you may choose to go inside the 500-year-old Jeronimos Monastery or cross the river to the Jesus Christ statue. Back in the centre of Lisbon particular highlights are the churches and Se de Lisboa Cathedral, as well as the galleries and museums which offer insights into the art, history and society of Portugal. The Baixa District is well worth a visit and is linked to the equally interesting Bairro Alto by a 32 metre wrought iron lift named Elevador de Santa Justa. This evening you'll have the opportunity to experience a live performance of 'Fado' music. Stemming from the word 'fate', the music of Fado can be deeply personal in its expression. Said to have been born from the songs of African slaves, the sentiments behind this soulful music are deeply linked to the heritage and hearts of the people, and as such is quintessentially Portuguese. Enjoying this performance after dinner we come a little closer to feeling a sense of 'saudade', a sentiment of nostalgia which, it is said, that only the Portuguese truly understand.

This morning we leave Lisbon and drive one-and-a-half hours to Alcobaca, a gem of a small medieval town in the centre of the country featuring one of Iberia's great monasteries. Hiding behind the imposing Baroque facade is an austere monastery with a forest of unadorned 12th century arches. But make sure you visit the rest too: the atmospheric refectory, vast dormitory and other spaces bring back the Cistercian life, which, according to sources, wasn't quite as austere here as it should have been. After some free time for strolling around we continue to Batalha. We take time to see its splendid Gothic monastery, Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria, built to commemorate the Battle of Aljubarrota, which was fought just south of here. The construction of the monastery was never fully completed and we'll see the unfinished chapels. Late afternoon we reach the old university town of Coimbra. Although it has a beautiful historic centre it also has one foot firmly planted in the present. It has an attractive modern riverside park and is home to a large university. Our tour Leader will take us on a walk through the backstreets of this little known town up to the University.

This morning we have a couple of hours free in Coimbra, which was once the medieval capital of Portugal and sits on a hillside rising from the River Mondego. You may like to visit the university area with its startling collection of centuries old buildings and its famous library. Later this morning we will drive two hours into the Douro Valley to Lamego. This picturesque Baroque city is nestled among the terraces of the wine growing region of the Douro Valley. After free time here for lunch we will continue to Peso da Regua where we have a wine tasting at a local vineyard before heading to Pinhao. Here there will be the opportunity to join a boat trip for around one hour along the Douro River to take in the views along the valley with its vineyards set on terraced hillsides.

This morning we take a scenic two hour train journey to Porto. We will walk from the train station some 400 metres to our hotel (mention to Tour Leader if you are going to struggle). The tour leader will take us on an orientation walk, strolling down the cobbled streets to Cais da Ribeira - undoubtedly the most picturesque spot. This characterful quayside is dominated by the tall outline of the two tiered Dom Luis I Bridge, built in 1886 by an assistant of Gustave Eiffel. Here, ancient houses with laundry-draped balconies stand high above the waterfront looking out over the river, where several old boats lie moored at the water's edge. Despite the decline in the use of this harbour, with its fish market and restaurants, it continues to have character and bustle reminiscent of its lively past. Following our tour we include a visit to a port lodge. The history and processes involved in making these white, ruby and tawny delicacies are most interesting, and we'll get to enjoy a port tasting. The rest of the day is then free to further explore the city that has a surprise around every corner - churches clad in finely illustrated blue and white azulejo tiles; bustling food markets selling everything from fruit and vegetables, to bacalhau (traditional salted cod), fresh chickens' feet and tripe; and peaceful squares with small friendly coffee bars hidden away, where you could sit back and watch the world go by. This evening you might like to visit the nearby city of Matosinhos where you can sample a barbequed fish dinner on the seafront.

Today is free for you to further discover Porto. The city offers visitors a range of architectural and cultural attractions, such as the Palacio da Bolsa, with its spectacular Alhambra-like interior, a charismatic medieval quarter and the monumental central avenue, Avenida do Aliados. You may consider venturing further afield and taking the train (one hour) to the attractive towns of Guimaraes or Braga.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Porto. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Porto at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Porto Airport (OPO), which is about 30 minutes' drive.