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Cultural Portugal
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Destinations: Lisbon - Sintra - Obidos - Coimbra - Braga - Santiago de Compostela - Guimaraes - Porto - Aveiro - Fatima
This 7-night trip takes you by deluxe motorcoach on a journey through northern Portugal and into Spain for an excursion. Your tour begins in Lisbon where you discover the city's most emblematic historic sites.Travel through the countryside to Coimbra, the medieval capital, for a panoramic city tour. Drive north to Braga, where you overnight before driving into Spain for a full-day tour of Santiago de Compostela, final stop on an epic pilgrimage trail. Back in Braga, your tour includes Portugal's oldest cathedral and Guimaraes, a World Heritage site. Next visit Porto, where you take a panoramic drive and cruise the Douro River. Continue to Fatima, and visit this important pilgrimage site. Return to Lisbon, where your tour ends.
Sample Itinerary
1st Day: Arrive Lisbon
Arrive in Lisbon, where you are transferred to your hotel. (Roma or similar)
2nd Day: Sintra and Lisbon
This morning, depart for a full-day tour to discover Lisbon and the city’s outskirts with its famous Riviera and the seaside resorts of Estoril and Cascais north of the city. Also, visit Sintra, known for its many royal palaces, including Palacio de Vila and the fairy-tale castle Palacio da Pena. Stop in the old city center and get to know the town on your own. Continue to Lisbon and discover its most emblematic historic sites -- Jeronimos Monastery, Tower of Belem and the Monuments of the Navigators -- before reaching the city center. (B)
3rd Day: Lisbon / Obidos /
Coimbra / Brag
After breakfast, depart from Lisbon through the countryside up to the quaint small town of Obidos, which has preserved its unique character since the 13th century. Continue to Coimbra, which overlooks the Mondego River, for a panoramic city tour including the 700-year-old university. Drive to Braga, where you overnight. (Mercure Braga or similar) (B)
4th Day: Braga / Santiago de Compostela / Braga
Depart for Spain for a full-day guided tour of Santiago de Compostela. Some free time allows for an individual visit to the Cathedral. Stop in the charming small town of Ponte de Lima for a stroll and some shopping. Return to the hotel in Braga. (B)
5th Day: Braga / Guimaraes /
Porto
Morning visit to Braga includes the oldest cathedral in Portugal, as well as Bom Jesus sanctuary and Guimaraes – a UNESCO World Heritage site, often referred to as the “Cradle of Portugal.” Visit the ducal palace and walk through the medieval center before getting to Portugal’s second-largest city, Porto. A visit to one of the port wine cellars includes a tasting. (Vila Gale Porto or similar) (B)
6th Day: Porto
Today’s city tour in Porto includes a panoramic drive to the mouth of the Douro River, the soaring cathedral, the richly decorated church of Sao Francisco and the Stock Exchange (inside visit) with its contemporary Arabian hall inspired by Granada’s Alhambra. Enjoy a 50-minute Douro cruise and admire the sights over Ribeira’s old section from the riverside. Afternoon free at leisure. (B)
7th Day: Porto / Aveiro / Fatima / Lisbon
Today the tour heads for Fatima, stopping first in Aveiro, a maritime town famous for its canals. Continue to Fatima, home to one of the world’s most important Roman Catholic shrines. Visit the old and the new Basilica, as well as the Chapel of the Apparitions. Continue to Lisbon, where you overnight. (Roma or similar) (B)
8th Day: Depart Lisbon
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your departure flight. (B)