9 Day Portugal Uncovered

Welcome to Porto, home to tiled churches, baroque
facades and one of Europe’s great riverfronts. After
checking in, meet your Travel Director and fellow
travellers before heading out on an evening walk through
the city. Get to know the historic centre as you explore its
steep streets, old merchant buildings and lively squares,
with the Douro never far from view. Dinner is served in a
local restaurant, where the bold flavours of northern
Portugal give you your first taste of the city.
 

This morning, discover Porto by historic tram with your
Travel Director, following the riverfront and passing
through neighbourhoods that show another side of the
city. Continue on foot through the old town, stopping in
the area around Porto Cathedral, inside São Bento station
and in the narrow streets of Porto’s old riverside quarter.
The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace.
You could cross to Vila Nova de Gaia to visit the port
lodges, browse Mercado do Bolhão or head to Foz where
the Douro meets the Atlantic.
 

Journey into the Douro Valley, stopping first in Guimarães,
often called the cradle of the Portuguese nation. Join your
Travel Director for an orientation through the old town,
taking in Largo da Oliveira, Largo do Toural, the Church of
Nossa Senhora da Oliveira and views of the castle.
Continue to Peso da Régua for a look across the valley’s
terraced hillsides before travelling on to Pinhão. Here,
board a traditional Rabelo boat for a ride along the Douro,
then spend some free time in the village before heading to
your hotel in the Douro Valley.
 

Spend the day in the Douro Valley with time to enjoy the
setting around your hotel. You could relax and take in the
views or explore more of the valley at your own pace. At
lunch, join a Be My Guest experience at a local quinta,
where you’ll meet your hosts and learn more about life in
one of Portugal’s best-known wine regions. The rest of the
day is yours to enjoy in the Douro, with more time to slow
down and take in the landscape.
 

Travel south through Portugal’s agricultural heartland to
Coimbra, one of the country’s oldest cities. Join your
Travel Director for an orientation through the historic
centre, seeing the university quarter, the old cathedral and
medieval streets, then enjoy free time in the Baixa
district. Continue to Ericeira, a fishing town on the Atlantic
coast known for its beaches, seafood restaurants and surf
culture, where you’ll stay for the next two nights.
 

Today is yours to enjoy Ericeira at your own pace. You
could explore the historic centre with its whitewashed
lanes and blue-trim houses, walk the clifftop paths for
Atlantic views or head down to the beach for a stroll.
There’s also time to browse the town’s artisan boutiques
or sit down to fresh seafood in a traditional marisqueira.
 

Travel along the Portuguese Riviera to Sintra, known for
its hillside setting, old streets and pastry shops, and join
your Travel Director for an introduction to the town before
visiting Pena Palace (subject to availability) and its
gardens high above the surrounding hills. Continue
through Cascais, where elegant villas, Atlantic views and
a long connection to Portuguese royalty give the town its
standing on the coast. Later, arrive in Lisbon, Portugal’s
seafaring capital, where grand squares, tiled streets and
river views mark the start of your two-night stay.
 

Join your Travel Director for an introduction to Lisbon,
beginning in Belém where the Monument of Discoveries
and Belém Tower recall the voyages that carried
Portuguese ships out from the Tagus and turned Lisbon
into a seafaring capital. Continue to Alfama, the city’s
oldest quarter, where steep lanes and hillside streets
reveal a more traditional side of Lisbon. The afternoon is
yours to explore further, whether you choose a museum, a
viewpoint or one of the city’s historic tram routes. Come
together with your Small Group for dinner and Fado, the
traditional music of Portugal, to toast to your journey.
 

This morning, your time in Portugal comes to an end.
After breakfast, say farewell to your Travel Director and
fellow travellers as your tour concludes in Lisbon.