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. 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. 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. Otherwise 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) open on Sundays and Mondays, or the Museo de Azulejosor, the National Tile Museum housed in a 16th century monastery. Altneratively a local ferry across the Tagus takes you to Cacilhas which has a working port feel, restaurants serving a fish or seafood lunch, and excellent views back across to Lisbon proper.

This morning we explore Alfama hill on foot, meeting locals in neighbourhood shops, enjoying views across the river Tajo from Miradouro Santa Lucia viewpoint before driving to Belem (20-30min) on minibus or in taxis. We spend around two hours exploring, walking alongside the Jeronimo Monastery (optional visit) and and later reach Belem tower. The rest of the day is free to roam this part of the city, visiting the monastery or Gulbenkian Museum, or taking the ferry to Cacilhas south of the river (from Cias de Sodre, for views only) or seeing the statue of Jesus Christ on the southside of the river.

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 towards Peso da Regua and visit a local wine estate where we'll hear all about the history, production methods and of course taste some of the produce.

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. 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.

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. Other popular options include the Serralves museum of Modern Art or the 6 bridges boat trip. You may also 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.