Day 1:  Lisbon for 3 nights

Meet & greet private transfer from airport to hotel

1 superior double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Heritage Britania****

Located on a quiet street alongside Avenida da Liberdade, this art décor hotel offers warmly decorated rooms with cork floors and free Wi-Fi.

The guest rooms of Britania include double glazing, flat-screen TVs and CD/DVD players. They have private bathrooms with bathrobes and slippers.

Hotel Britania offers 24-hour room service as well as a breakfast buffet until 12:00. The hotel bar reminds guests of colonial times with its many paintings of Portugal’s overseas empires.

The Britania Hotel is situated 4.3 miles from Lisbon Airport. The Avenida Metro Station is a 5-minute walk away.

Santo Antonio is a great choice for travellers interested in history, monuments and sightseeing.

http://www.hotel-britania.com/pt.html

 

Day 2: 

Lisbon Food and Wine Walk  

Duration of tour: 3 hours

This tour will introduce you to the Portuguese cuisine and its incredible mix of Mediterranean traditions and exotic influences from all corners of the World. Try the famous Portuguese Codfish Cake with a glass of refreshing Green Wine. Get to know the Bairro Alto, home to some of Lisbon’s most famous restaurants, Fado-houses, bars and nightclubs. Go down the steps of Calcada do Duque, and admire the breathtaking views while you will pass some great hidden restaurants. Learn about Lisbon’s great Cafes and Portugal’s strong cafe-culture and have the chance to take a look at delicious and exotic products, from dried, salted Bacalhau to sausages, hams and cheeses. Learn the history of Portugal’s famous fortified wine, Port, and then try some with delicious cheese. Hear about the only tea production in Europe, grown in the Atlantic Island of Sao Miguel, in the Azores. And finish your tour in style, in a palace that hides one of the most intriguing interiors in the city. Here you will sit down for a taste of Portuguese Bread and Chourico, accompanied by a delicious Alentejo red wine.

Includes:  Guided walking tour in English, Codfish cake & green wine, Tapas & white wine, Port wine, marmalade & cheese, Ginja Liquor, Bread, chourico & red wine.

 

Day 3:

Full day tour to Sintra by Beetle car

Enjoy a full day travelling from Lisbon to Sintra along the west coast of Portugal. With your very own local driver-guide navigating the Beetle, sit back, relax and take in all the sights.
We set off from Lisbon travelling through Belém and Cascais, an elegant summer resort for 19th century Portuguese kings and European royalty. Roll by the rugged coastline, leaving behind the cliffs of Cabo da Roca as we head into the cooler Sintra Mountains. These pine covered hills attracted the nobility and elite of Portugal, who constructed exquisite palaces, extravagant residences and decorative gardens. The variety of fascinating monuments and historic buildings make this a gorgeous, overwhelming and mystical place to discover. And arriving by Beetle, you’ll be the talk of the town. Have fun whilst sightseeing with the full day Beetle tour to Sintra.

 

Day 4:  Evora for 2 nights

Pick up car in Lisbon Audi A3 Diesel or similar Midsize Class – Manual Transmission unlimited mileage CDW & theft included

Drive to Evora

Leaving Lisbon, cross the bridge over the river Tejo where by a beautiful and bucolic landscape of olive trees, cork oak trees and vineyards before you arrive at Evora – World Heritage of UNESCO.

Day at leisure to explore  the narrow streets of the whitewashed town of Evora and visit the most important monuments: the Roman Temple, the Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral, Saint Francis Church with the « Bones Chapel », and the University.

If you arrive early, at he market see and feel the richness of product used to prepare one of the most elaborated and appreciated cork, ceramic and copper objects.

1 superior double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Pousada Convento  de Evora****

Located in between Évora’s Gothic cathedral and the Templo de Diana, this renovated convent features a courtyard swimming pool together with characteristic arched corridors and vaulted ceilings.

The spacious, air-conditioned rooms at Pousada de Évora – Lóios are individually styled and decorated with wooden furniture. They include a minibar, work desk and private bathroom with bathtub and shower.

Guests can enjoy Portuguese dishes in Pousada’s restaurant, which has a chic indoor dining hall and a covered terrace by the pool. There is also a bar and a large lobby with plenty of seating.

The Pousada de Évora has a 24-hour reception that can arrange horse riding trips and hikes. Guests can also walk around the city centre and visit Giraldo’s Square with its 16th century fountain. Free parking is provided.

http://www.pousadas.pt/en/hotel/pousada-evora?src=af/pages/home.aspx

 

Day 5:

Day at leisure to explore the wineries near Evora

In Azeitao, you can visit one of the oldest and most important wine cellars in Portugal

Taste the traditional Moscaltel wine of Setubal.

Go to the tiny village of Igrejinha to visit the wild Herdade dos Coelheiros estate, run by the effervescently charming Teresa Leal. This extensive estate not only produces wines, but also walnuts and cork trees. Tour the property by 4X4, taking in the beautiful landscapes and finish with a tasting of their superb barrel fermented white wine (an elegant chardonnay, one of the best whites we have tasted in Portugal) and the powerful Tapada de Coelheiros Tinto Garrafeira (made with Cabernet Sauvignon & Aragonez and aged in new French oak for 12 months).   If you would like to do that we will make a reservation for you.

 

Day 6:  Viseu for 1 night

This morning’s journey takes you to the pretty Roman town of Castelo de Vide. Time seems to have stood still in the medieval atmosphere of the Jewish Quarter, with its cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, many with Gothic doorways. Take a short climb to the Castle that looks down upon the town. Down the hill is the newer part of the town with wider, less steep streets, and an elegant main square. From Castelo de Vide as you drive to Viseu experience the breathtaking views of mountains, lakes, gorges, streams and tiny remote villages, many seeming remarkably untouched by modern life.

It is here that the composer Hilario was born, whose composition Coimbra led to the Portuguese singing style of Fado. Whilst here sample Viseu’s fine cheeses, for which the area is renowned, and also the Dao wines.

1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Palacio Dos Melos****

Palacio dos Melos Hotel in Viseu has been completely refurbished and fitted with modern facilities whilst maintaining its original facade. Just 329 feet from Grão Vasco Museum, it features a terrace with panoramic views.

The individually decorated rooms at the Hotel Palácio dos Melos have been luxuriously furnished. All the air-conditioned rooms have a satellite TV and a work desk.

The hotel’s à la carte restaurant serves local specialties as well as international dishes and the finest wines from the area. It is available for groups upon reservation. A bar is also available.

Guests can relax in the hotel’s elegant lounge area or just explore the surrounding area. They can also enjoy the panoramic views of the city of Viseu from the hotel’s terrace bar, situated at the hotel walls.

http://www.hotelpalaciodosmelos.pt/

 

Day 7:  Porto for 2 nights

Leave Viseu and drive through beautiful countryside of chestnut trees, vines and orchards as you come upon the village of Mateus, famous for the rose wine made on the estate once owned by the Counts of Vila Real. The manor house, Solar de Mateus, is considered to be a perfect example of Portuguese Baroque. Although the Mangualde family still live there, parts of it are open to the public. The beauty of its gardens surpasses the beauty of the building.

Porto is built into the granite cliffs at the mouth of the river Douro and here you will find an array of architectural gems. Be sure to sample the country’s famous Port wine and seafood cuisine.

1 superior double river view, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Pestana Vintage Porto****

The Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel & World Heritage Site is romantically situated along the Douro River, right on the historic Ribeira Square. All guest rooms in this 16th-century building have a spacious bathroom.

The rooms of the Hotel have double-glazed windows and a flat-screen TV. For extra comfort, the bathrooms offer a bathtub and hairdryer.

In the morning guests can enjoy breakfast at the RIB restaurant, which has stunning views on the Douro River. The Heritage bar serves cocktails and refreshing beverages.

From the Pestana Porto, cruises on the River Douro depart right in front of the hotel. The Torre dos Clérigos Bell Tower and the Porto Cathedral are less than a 10-minute stroll away. The Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel & World Heritage Site is 13.4 miles from Porto International Airport.

http://www.pestana.com/en/hotel/pestana-porto

 

Day 8

Cruise Porto / Pinhão / Porto BA (Upstream)

08:00 – Embark at Vila Nova de Gaia Quay

Departure to Pinhão

Breakfast on board

Crestuma-Lever  Dam (Flood-gate, unlevelling 14m)

Carrapatelo Dam (Flood-gate, unlevelling 35m)

Lunch served on board

14:45 – Arrival at Régua

Possible stop (landing/boarding)

Bagaúste Dam (Flood-gate, unlevelling 27m)

17:00 – Arrival at Pinhão

Free time

18:19 – Departure by train to Porto

20:35 – Arrival at Porto (Campanhã Railway Station)

 

Day 9:  Coimbra for 1 night

Today, a fascinating drive. Your first stop is the city of Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal, it is surrounded by salt-flats, beaches, lagoons and dominated by the Central Canal which runs through the town. It is basically a mixture of neat fishermen’s cottages and Art Nouveau town houses with a few historic buildings. While in Aveiro taste the town’s specialty pastry, Ovas Moles, small almond shaped creations with a sweet filling. Continue on to Coimbra which is overlooked by the tall tower of its old university (one of the oldest in Europe). As early as the Middle Ages Coimbra was divided into an upper city, where the aristocracy and the clergy lived, and the lower city by the river, where commercial activities took place. Some remnants are still visible of the ancient fortified wall which encircled the city.

1 superior double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Quinta das Lagrimas****

This 4-star hotel is situated in a historic medieval palace. It features botanical gardens and a state-of-the-art spa with views across Coimbra.

Quinta das Lágrimas offers 3 room types: Palace Rooms once accommodated the Duke of Wellington and Garden Rooms overlook the botanical garden. Spa Rooms include a hydrotherapy bath tub and boast stunning views of the Quinta’s woods.

The 2 restaurants at Hotel Quinta das Lágrima serve seasonal dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients grown on the estate. Dine al fresco whilst enjoying selected local wines from the cellar.

Bamboo Garden Spa provides a range of luxury treatments and beauty therapies, and there is a library filled with thousands of ancient books. Quinta das Lágrima has a golf driving range and a 9-hole course.

http://www.quintadaslagrimas.pt/quinta-das-lagrimas

 

Day 10:  Lisbon for 1 night

Continue your journey to the small town of Batalha then on to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in the green hills of Cova da Iria. It is one of the most famous in the world, and its name comes from the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary by three shepherd children at Fatima on the 13th day of six consecutive months starting on 13th May 1917. Return to Lisbon for your overnight stay.

Drop off car by the end of the day

1 double room, breakfast & taxes included at Hotel Heritage Britania****

Located on a quiet street alongside Avenida da Liberdade, this art décor hotel offers warmly decorated rooms with cork floors and free Wi-Fi.

The guest rooms of Britania include double glazing, flat-screen TVs and CD/DVD players. They have private bathrooms with bathrobes and slippers.

Hotel Britania offers 24-hour room service as well as a breakfast buffet until 12:00. The hotel bar reminds guests of colonial times with its many paintings of Portugal’s overseas empires.

The Britania Hotel is situated 4.3 miles from Lisbon Airport. The Avenida Metro Station is a 5-minute walk away.

Santo Antonio is a great choice for travellers interested in history, monuments and sightseeing.

http://www.hotel-britania.com/pt.html

 

Day 11

Private transfer from hotel to Lisbon airport