Portugal Revealed

Welcome to the Portuguese capital and transfer to your hotel in the bohemian Bairro Alto neighbourhood.

Bairro Alto Hotel

Explore the Belém district crowned by the magnificent World Heritage listed Jerónimos Monastery, commissioned to celebrate Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India in 1498. Visit the iconic Belém Tower and pause to sample the country’s famous custard tarts. Afterwards, visit the National Coach Museum.

This evening is at leisure, or alternately, why not savour the taste of Lisbon’s culinary scene with your Guardian Angel (additional cost). Begin with a Portuguese apéritif before stopping at Mercado da Ribeira to sample traditional hams, cheeses and petiscos – a variety of small portions of traditional Portuguese food. Finish your evening sampling traditional deserts from the large array of top Lisbon restaurants, or with port and sweet treats at the beautiful Opera House.

Bairro Alto Hotel | Meals: B

Travel to Sintra, a summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs, Moorish emirs, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the National Palace, a former Royal residence, with a variety of architectural styles and interior decorations, and see for yourself why the town is often referred to as a page torn from a fairy-tale as you stroll at leisure through the ancient narrow streets, occupied with local handicraft shops and cafés.

Continue on to discover one of the most beautiful architectural and landscape creations in Portugal: the Park and Palace of Monserrate. One of the best examples of 19th century European eclecticism, the Palace combines gothic and Indian influences as well as Moorish suggestions and is surrounded by lush gardens with a remarkable botanical collection including species from around the world.

Bairro Alto Hotel | Meals: B

Begin your journey north stopping firstly in Óbidos, a picturesque citadel containing a castle, churches, medieval defensive walls, an aqueduct, white-washed houses, flowers and handicraft shops. Continue on for a leisurely stop in the fishing port of Nazaré to admire panoramic views of the coast from Sítio, the section of the town perched high on a promontory that is also a pilgrimage site, and Alcobaça to visit the huge 12th-century Cistercian monastery. Arrive at your palace hotel located in the heart of the whitewashed medieval town of Coimbra later today.

Quinta das Lágrimas Hotel | Meals: B

Once Portugal’s capital and classified a UNESCO World Heritage in 2013, the city of Coimbra has a rich past which reveals itself on a guided walking tour. Stroll along narrow medieval streets lined with shops and cafés, past a Roman crypto-portico below the Bishop's Palace, to Se Velha, the Romanesque Cathedral and ancient city centre. Here, wander through a warren of enclosed streets and squares to the River Mondego.

Quinta das Lágrimas Hotel | Meals: B

Leave Coimbra behind and head to Porto. En Route, make a stop at the enchanting ancient forest of Serra do Bussaco. This unique location is a hidden world of moss-covered paths crisscrossing an enchanting wonderland of grottoes, tiny chapels, pools, fountains and fertile forest of nearly 400 Portuguese varieties of vegetation alongside an additional 300 species from sources as far away as Japan.

Continue on to Porto, Portugal's vibrant and colourful second city teeming with medieval relics, soaring bell towers, extravagant Baroque churches and stately Beaux-Arts buildings. Some of Europe's most graceful arched bridges span the gorge cut by the Douro River above. Porto’s fame, however, springs not from the beauty of its buildings but from the taste of its port wine. First extensively developed by English merchants in the early 18th century, the port industry still plays a major role in the city's economy.

Hotel Infante Sagres | Meals: B

Enjoy a half-day tour, winding your way through the city’s narrow cobbled streets past merchants’ houses and cafés admiring the richly coloured tiles on every street corner. Explore the quayside of the fascinating Ribeira district, Porto’s old town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as some of the city’s most beautiful monuments including the opulent 19th-century Stock Exchange Palace and the St Francis Church. Round off your day with a port tasting at one of the famous riverside lodges.

The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure. Alternately, you may choose to continue your exploration of Porto in a Motorcycle Sidecar at Sunset (additional cost). Cruise down glamorous avenues, discovering the beautiful coastal city and its landmarks as the sun goes down and the night comes alive.

Infante des Sagres | Meals: B

Explore the Douro Valley, otherwise known as the Alto Douro Wine Region. This famous wine region is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has nearly 600,000 acres of land under cultivation, producing equal quantities of port and table wines. Its stunning landscape of terraced hills overlooks the winding River Douro. Accompanied by your driver and guide, stop at two of the best wineries in the region for a tour, tasting and chance to take in the wonderful views. Continue on to the river port of Pinhão to see the striking glazed tiles of the railway station before heading north towards the city of Vila Real. Here, time permitting, you might want to see the sumptuous gardens of Casa de Mateus.

For those looking to continue their Douro Valley experience, you may wish to enjoy an optional private, authentic rabelo boat cruise along the Douro River (additional cost).

Return to Porto in the late afternoon to enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

Infante des Sagres | Meals: B

Meet your driver and Guardian Angel and transfer in the comfort of your private luxury vehicle to Porto airport for your onward flight.

Meals: B