Small Groups 2013: Lisbon, Porto & Santiago de Compostela Discovery

Enjoy a private walking tour of the highlights of Lisbon.

Meet up with your Guide and fellow travellers of your small group tour this morning. The rendezvous is at 9:00am at the Hotel Heritage AV Libertade, 28 Avenida Libertade, 1250-145 Lisbon, Portugal.

Enjoy a full day city tour of Lisbon. Home to Gothic cathedrals, majestic monasteries and quaint museums, Lisbon is best explored on foot where its hidden delights can be discovered as you wander through the narrow lanes of its backstreets. Located near the shore, Jeronimo’s Monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Maueline-style architecture and, along with the nearby Tower of Belem, has been classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cross the Tagus River to the Almada region for a panoramic view of Libson. Taste the legendary Pasteis de Belem, a local speciality of the area.

This evening you will enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant whilst being entertained by Fado singers.

This morning travel through hills dotted with fairy tale palaces and extravagant villas to Sintra. From the main square you will see the two conical chimneys of the 14th century National Palace, which are the town’s most recognisable landmarks. However, the most famous building in Sintra is the 19th century Pena Palace. The extravagant interior is decorated in late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings and contains rich paintings and priceless porcelain. Surrounding the palace is Pena Park, which is filled with plants from the former colonies of the Portuguese empire. You will enjoy fantastic views of the Atlantic Ocean this afternoon on a drive along the Portuguese coast to Estoril and Cascais, an active fishing port with an old town full of narrow winding streets.

This evening is at your leisure.

Today you will travel north to Coimbra. Your first stop is the romantic village of Obidos with its cobbled streets surrounded by medieval walls and rustic houses. Continue to the charming fishing town of Nazare, where you can explore the town on your own. Then head to Batalha to visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed Batalha Monastery, which commemorates Portugal’s independence from Spain in 1385. Your final stop is at Conimbriga, one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal. Archaeological evidence shows that this site was inhabited as far back as the 9th century BC.

Tonight, dinner will be served in a local restaurant in Coimbra.

Coimbra is a lively university town, with a picturesque maze of medieval streets and an assembly of Romanesque and Gothic buildings. Outside of the dense old city, you can stroll along Coimbra’s riverfront and enjoy leafy walks through its parks and gardens. After a morning exploring the city, you travel to Aveiro, known as ‘the Venice’ of Portugal. To the north of the central canal is the old fisherman quarter and to the south are most of the city’s historic buildings.

Return to Coimbra where you have your evening at your leisure.

Travelling North, you will explore Portugal’s beautiful but remote Douro Valley, the home of port wine. The valley, with its hills falling steeply down to the river’s edge becomes more sparsely populated and wild the further inland we travel and the roads, which zigzag up and down the mountainsides, offer fantastic views of the vines and olive groves. Famous producers of the region include Taylors, Cockburns and Sandeman, whose wines are a great accompaniment to local cuisine. From the Douro Valley continue to Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, where you will enjoy an evening meal in a local restaurant.

Situated at the mouth of the Douro River, the hilly city of Porto is one of Europe’s oldest centres and is a fascinating city to explore. Its historic Ribeira district, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, has many winding medieval lanes, extravagant baroque churches and small squares. Along the riverside promenade you will see some important landmarks of the city including the Bolsa Palace, the San Francisco Church and the Porto Cathedral.

This afternoon you will visit one of the many wine cellars in the city for a tasting of its famous export ‘Vinho Verde’, which translates to green wine.

Your journey today takes you to the historic town of Guimares, which was voted European Capital of Culture in 2012. As the first capital of Portugal and birthplace of the nation’s first king, Guimares is one of the country’s most historic cities. It is home to an imposing medieval castle, several fine churches and the Rua de Santa Maria, a beautiful cobbled street that leads to the old town. After some time exploring this fascinating city you will head to Ponte de Lima, a lovely market town on the south bank of the Lima River, founded on the site of a Celtic settlement and developed by the Romans. Your accommodation tonight provides wonderful views over the Lima Valley and surrounding vineyards.

After breakfast you make your final journey north, crossing over the border from Portugal into Spain. Your final destination is Santiago de Compostela, a city which can lay claim to being the world’s first tourist destination. During the middle ages, from the 9th to the 16th century, this was an important pilgrimage site with up to two million people a year coming to worship at what was believed to be the burial place of St James. Whether or not you believe in the legend of St James, Santiago de Compostela is still a fascinating city to explore. One of the most impressive sights is Santiago’s cathedral square, which is made of golden granite and is bordered on one side by the Baroque façade of the cathedral and on the other the 18th century town hall, formally the Raxoy Palace. Walk through the old streets that run from the cathedral where modern clothing shops stand next to ancient grocery shops run by traditional women swathed in black.

Your small group tour concludes this afternoon in Santiago de Compostela around 5:00pm.

Meet your driver for a private airport transfer.