About the trip
Hotels (7 nts). with Breakfast and Dinner Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Cork Farm Visit Montemor-o-Novo, Montemor-o-Novo Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Knights Templar Historic Tour, Tomar Your Foodie Moment: Fado Night with Traditional Portuguese Meal, Lisbon Your Hands-On Moment: Port Wine Cellar Visit, Porto. Lisbon orientation walk. Guided tour of Palace of Pena in Sintra. Chapel of Bones visit in Evora. Diana's Temple visit in Evora. Guided tour of Coimbra University. Porto orientation walk. Douro River boat cruise. Transport to/from all included activities and between all destinations.Hotels (7 nts). with BreakfastHotels (7 nts). with BreakfastHotels (7 nts). with Breakfast
Highlights
- Discover an array of architectural gems, from the colorful manors of Sintra to the Roman temples of Évora, Venture into the countryside to learn about the production of cork and olive harvesting, Enjoy a mesmerizing Fado music performance in Lisbon, Float down Porto’s "river of gold,” taking in timeless scenes of rolling green hills.
Meals
Accommodation
Included in the price
Lisbon
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Cork Farm Visit Montemor-o-Novo, Montemor-o-Novo
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Knights Templar Historic Tour, Tomar
- Your Foodie Moment: Fado Night with Traditional Portuguese Meal, Lisbon
- Your Hands-On Moment: Port Wine Cellar Visit, Porto. Lisbon orientation walk. Guided tour of Palace of Pena in Sintra. Chapel of Bones visit in Evora. Diana's Temple visit in Evora. Guided tour of Coimbra University. Porto orientation walk. Douro River boat cruise. Transport to/from all included activities and between all destinations.
Lisbon
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Cork Farm Visit Montemor-o-Novo, Montemor-o-Novo
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Knights Templar Historic Tour, Tomar
- Your Foodie Moment: Fado Night with Traditional Portuguese Meal, Lisbon
- Your Hands-On Moment: Port Wine Cellar Visit, Porto. Lisbon orientation walk. Guided tour of Palace of Pena in Sintra. Chapel of Bones visit in Evora. Diana's Temple visit in Evora. Guided tour of Coimbra University. Porto orientation walk. Douro River boat cruise. Transport to/from all included activities and between all destinations.
Day-wise Itinerary
ExpandDay 1: Lisbon
To ensure you are able to join the group for dinner, please arrive in Lisbon by 6pm at the latest.
Day 2: Lisbon
Travel back in time to the fairytale castles and hills of Sintra, a 19th-century resort town and UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the colourful manors, medieval palaces, and lush gardens that enchanted English Romantic poet Lord Byron as well as Portuguese royalty. Enjoy a free afternoon to discover Lisbon’s pastel-hued architecture and lively plazas. Opt to soar over Lisbon on the historic Santa Justa lift, an engineering marvel that ascends 147 feet to an epic viewing platform.
Day 3: Lisbon/évora
Head to medieval Évora, in the heart of the bucolic Alentejo region, for a fascinating foray into the past. Be mesmerized by the haunting Chapel of Bones, erected by 16th-century Franciscan monks. Then pay a visit to one of the best preserved Roman temples on the Iberian Peninsula, known as Diana’s Temple.
Day 4: Évora
Venture into the Montemor-o-Novo countryside, home to centuries-old cork forests. Join a local expert at a traditional farm, and learn about cork harvesting and production. Then sit down to a traditional cork stripper’s lunch at a local restaurant in town. This afternoon, return to Évora and explore its UNESCO World Heritage–designated city centre on your own, walking past whitewashed houses decorated with azulejos and wrought-iron balconies.
Day 5: Évora/coimbra
Spend the day in Tomar and delve into the Crusades era in Portugal. Go on a guided walk with a local expert around the vast medieval complex of the Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Templar Castle, founded in 1160 by Gualdim Pais—grand master of the Knights Templar. Continue on to Coimbra for the evening.
Day 6: Coimbra/porto
This morning, enjoy a tour around the centuries-old University of Coimbra, Portugal's most prestigious university and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enter through the 10th-century Porta Férra, the old entrance to the citadel of Coimbra. Following mosaic cobblestone paths around campus, stopping to see the baroque stylings of the Joanina Library, elaborate azulejo wall tiles adorning the Chapel of São Miguel, and the 18th-century Botanical Garden. Later, catch the train to Porto on the coast.
Day 7: Porto
Board a boat and float past scenic terraced hills on Portugal's "river of gold," the ancient trade route that port wine shippers took to age their fortified wines. Discover the rich tradition of port making at a local wine cellar, then cap off the day with a tasting of this distinct regional specialty. In your free time, explore the cobblestone streets of Porto’s medieval Ribeira district, marvel at the baroque São Francisco Church, and admire the palatial Palácio de Bolsa, a one time stock market.
Day 8: Porto
Depart at any time.
