Tour Best Of Portugal (Small Group, 11 Days)

Guide

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver

Hygieneprotocol

All guests travelling with Trafalgar through December 31, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may include a booster shot to keep the vaccination status current and valid, depending on the travel destination. Children not eligible for vaccination and/or booster at the time of travel must provide a verifiable and negative Covid-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to the start of the tour (taking time zones into consideration) for all tours departing until December 31, 2022. While highly recommended, COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are no longer required for guests traveling with us from January 1, 2023 onward. It is your client’s responsibly to comply with specific vaccine and/or booster requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destinations visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues, which may be more restrictive than the above. No refunds will be given if they are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to failure to comply with these requirements.

Accommodation

Turim Av Liberdade Real Bellavista M’ar de Ar Muralhas Grão Vasco Neya/Carris Ribeira Fátima Neya/Smy Lisboa

Others

Explore Lisbon, Évora and Porto with a Local Specialist Discover the Algarve, Lagos, Castelo de Vide, Viseu, Coimbra, Tomar, Nazaré and Óbidos Visit the Hieronymite Monastery in Lisbon, the cathedral in Évora, the Palace Gardens at Palacio de Mateus, the Stock Exchange Palace, Arabian Hall and a local port wine cellar in Porto, the University Library of Coimbra, the Convent of Christ in Tomar, the Shrine at Fátima and the Gothic Monastery at Batalha View the Castle of Guimarães Connect With Locals Saddle up for a superb stud farm visit, the tragic story of unrequited love and a traditional home-cooked Be My Guest lunch with Tiago and Vera in Portugal’s beautiful Alentejo. Dive into Culture Savour the flavours of Portugal’s centuries-old Port heritage and gain insights into its local production at a tasting in a Port cellar. Dive into Culture Visit the Hieronymite Monastery, a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome and exquisite example of Manueline architecture. All hotel tips, charges and local taxes All porterage and restaurant gratuities An expert Travel Director and professional Driver Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras Optional Experiences and free time

Meals

1 Be My Guest 1 Farewell Dinner 1 Welcome Reception 10 Breakfasts 2 Dinners

Transport

Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services are not included.

Flights

Flights are not included.

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Optional

AVAILABLE ON DAY 2 Portuguese Fado Evening Of Music & Song With Dinner An evening’s entertainment Portuguese style. You’ll savour a typical meal with local aperitifs and wines and hear beautiful, traditional Fado singing. Cancellation within 24 hours will incur a 50% cancellation fee. Adult Price: €66.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 2 The Golden Triangle: Sintra Mountain, Cascais & The Estoril Coast After passing through the fashionable resort of Estoril, we’ll explore the picturesque fishing village of Cascais, with its beautiful array of mansions and exclusive residences. To complete the Golden Triangle, we’ll visit one of the impressive Royal Palaces of Sintra. Adult Price: €46.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 4 Faro And Almansil Excursion With your Local Specialist you’ll head to Faro, the historical capital of the Algarve, to visit the old walled town and to have some time to explore. After having seen the marshes of Ria Formosa, we’ll head to Almansil to visit one of the most impressive hidden gems of the Algarve: The Church of Saint Lawrence and its unique painted tiles. Adult Price: €38.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 4 Algarve Dinner Join us tonight for an authentic local dinner, where we’ll taste delicious dishes cooked in a traditional ‘Cataplana’, accompanied by other specialities and delicious Portuguese wines. Adult Price: €49.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 5 Monsaraz And The Deep Alentejo Drive Follow your Local Specialist through the vineyards and groves of cork oaks to charming Monsaraz, one of the most famous and beautiful ’white villages’ of the Alentejo, inhabited since prehistory. You’ll admire the castle which overlooks Spain and see views of the largest artificial lake in Europe, before tasting typical local refreshments. Adult Price: €34.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 6 Ínsua Manor - Food And Wine Pairing Experience Situated in the heart of the famous wine region, join us on a short drive to the spectacular Ínsua Manor, an 18th century manor house and estate, where you’ll enjoy a gourmet experience matching local food with different local wines. Adult Price: €54.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 6 Beira Dinner in a Dão Wine Cellar Today we drive into the heart of the well-known region of Dão Wine, to visit and enjoy our Beira Dinner in a Wine Cellar producing some of the best wines of this region. Adult Price: €49.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 7 Douro Cruise And Dinner Enjoy a relaxing and leisurely cruise along the Douro River. You’ll have a chance to see two medieval "world heritage" cities plus five impressive bridges, one of them the famous UNESCO-listed Eiffel bridge. Afterwards, savour a typical meal in the Medieval Ribeira Quarter Adult Price: €60.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 8 Old Town Braga and Bom Jesus Sanctuary Spend the afternoon with our Local Specialist travelling through the lush green Minho, Portugal’s most northerly province, stopping at its capital, Braga. See Europe’s largest and most magnificent sculpted Baroque staircase which ascends the forested hillside to the ’Bom Jesus’ sanctuary. We’ll arrive using a 19th-Century water-powered funicular. Finally, a walk through Braga’s historic centre brings to life this ancient and innovative city. Adult Price: €36.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change. AVAILABLE ON DAY 8 Seafood Dinner by the Atlantic Ocean Join us for an outstanding dinner next to the beaches of the northwestern Portuguese Atlantic coast. Taste the local seafood and other delicacies with fantastic Portuguese wines while the ocean waves crush against the shore. Adult Price: €49.00* * The Optionals and pricing listed here are a guideline only and subject to change.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Welcome To Lisbon
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Welcome To Lisbon

A sea of pastel pinks, yellows and blues dot the seven hills of the romantic Portuguese capital, which you will have an opportunity to explore today before meeting your fellow travellers and Travel Director for a Welcome Reception and orientation drive past some of the city’s most iconic sights.
Day 2 Day 2: Discover Colourful Lisbon
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Discover Colourful Lisbon

Delve into Lisbon’s centuries-old seafaring heritage today, paying tribute to the brave men who set off from these shores to discover the ‘New World’. With our Local Specialist, We’ll see the shimmering white Monument to the Discoveries, the iconic suspension bridge spanning the Tagus, and Belém Tower, built as a fortress protecting the city of Lisbon. We’ll Dive Into Culture on a sightseeing tour of the UNESCO-listed Hieronymite Monastery, an exquisite testament to 16th-century Manueline architecture and art. There’s time to join an Optional Experience to the historic towns of Cascais and Sintra. In the evening, perhaps enjoy a traditional Portuguese dinner amidst the heart-wrenching, haunting sounds of the fado.
Day 3 Day 3: Journey To The Algarve Region
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Journey To The Algarve Region

We journey across the Tagus this morning and drive south towards the Serra da Arrábida Mountains and to the golden pastures of the Alentejo. The hearty aroma of Portuguese chicken fills the air at our Be My Guest experience as we Connect With Locals over a traditional lunch at a stud ranch, where Lusitano horses were once reared at the pleasure of King João VI in the 18th century. Our journey continues further south, bound for the sun-kissed shores of the Algarve – our home for the next two nights.
Day 4 Day 4: Cliffs, Beaches And More In The Algarve
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Cliffs, Beaches And More In The Algarve

The dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches of the Sagres Peninsula provide a stunning backdrop for our morning coastal drive. Admire spectacular views across Baleeira Beach, before continuing along the coast to Cape St. Vincent, the site of many sea battles centuries ago. We end our excursion with a visit to the resort town of Lagos – once the home of Henry the Navigator.
Day 5 Day 5: Onwards To Elegant Évora
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Onwards To Elegant Évora

Journeying north, we travel to the ancient Alentejo city of Évora. Join your Local Specialist for a visit to the elaborate cathedral, Roman temple and the Chapel of Bones. Then, spend the rest of your day delving into the medieval history of this enchanting city. Trace centuries of history along its city walls, kick back with a bica and bolo in Praça do Giraldo or perhaps join an Optional Experience to the medieval village of Monsaraz. This evening we dine at our hotel in Évora.
Day 6 Day 6: Venture Past Mountains To Viseu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Venture Past Mountains To Viseu

Our first stop today is in the quaint hilltop town of Castelo de Vide with its charming white façades, narrow alleys and fascinating Jewish Quarter. Travel north towards the Serra de Estrela mountains and arrive later in Viseu, set high on a plateau near the famous Dão vineyards. Explore the city’s rich art and architectural history, seeing the 12th-century Sé, standing imposingly on a hill overlooking much of the city.
Day 7 Day 7: Through The Douro Valley To Porto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Through The Douro Valley To Porto

Vineyard-clad hills provide an enchanting backdrop for our journey today through the Douro Valley, where Port wine is produced. We explore the magnificent gardens at the Baroque-style Palácio de Mateus, depicted on the label of the distinctive Mateus Rosé wine bottles. We continue via Guimarães for views of its impressive 10th-century castle, before arriving in the riverside town of Porto where we will spend the next two nights.
Day 8 Day 8: Explore Vibrant Porto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Explore Vibrant Porto

Join a Local Specialist today for a sightseeing tour in Porto, which takes you past baroque churches and along the winding cobblestone lanes that tumble down towards the Douro River. See the remarkable bridges that span the river and the Gothic Church of St. Francis. Visit the Stock Exchange Palace with its splendid Arabian Hall inspired by Granada’s Alhambra, then Dive Into Culture and into the centuries-old tradition of local port production at a tasting in a port cellar. Spend the rest of the afternoon strolling through the historic centre of Porto and admiring the azulejo-clad façades, or visit Livraria Lello, the city’s oldest bookstore.
Day 9 Day 9: On To Coimbra And Pilgrimage To Fátima
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: On To Coimbra And Pilgrimage To Fátima

Soak up the grand atmosphere of one of Europe’s greatest and oldest universities with a Local Specialist, then stroll through the ancient streets and squares of Coimbra, before journeying to the Templar city of Tomar. We join a Local Specialist to visit the Convent of Christ, originally built as a Templar stronghold in the 12th century. We arrive in the pilgrimage centre of Fátima, where we see millions of Catholic pilgrims who have journeyed to this pilgrimage site, where three young shepherds famously saw apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
Day 10 Day 10: Experience Village Life Returning To Lisbon
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Experience Village Life Returning To Lisbon

En route to Lisbon, we stop at the imposing monastery of Batalha – a UNESCO World Heritage site and the best example of late Gothic architecture in Portugal. Our next stop is the fishing village of Nazaré, before we visit the medieval walled city of Óbidos with its whitewashed houses and cobblestone streets. Our last night in Portugal together sees us toast to an incredible journey at a Farewell Dinner.
Day 11 Day 11: Farewell Lisbon
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Farewell Lisbon

Say a fond adeus to your fellow travellers at the end of an unforgettable Portuguese holiday. Find out more about your free airport transfer at trafalgar.com/freetransfers.

11 days tour

Best Of Portugal (Small Group, 11 Days)

This tour includes:

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Best Of Portugal (Small Group, 11 Days)

Day 1: Welcome To Lisbon

Day 2: Discover Colourful Lisbon

Day 3: Journey To The Algarve Region

Day 4: Cliffs, Beaches And More In The Algarve

Day 5: Onwards To Elegant Évora

Day 6: Venture Past Mountains To Viseu

Day 7: Through The Douro Valley To Porto

Day 8: Explore Vibrant Porto

Day 9: On To Coimbra And Pilgrimage To Fátima

Day 10: Experience Village Life Returning To Lisbon

Day 11: Farewell Lisbon

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