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Images Of Portugal


Grand cities, medieval villages and UNESCO World Heritage sites all combine to reveal the charm of Portugal




Starting in the capital of Lisbon, we explore the grandeur and opulence of this great city and, in contrast, wander though the narrow medieval streets to gain a glimpse of daily life. A special highlight here will be a wonderful evening of local food and traditional fado music. We travel along the rugged coastline, the Costa de Lisboa, to the postcard perfect town of Sintra; set amidst lush vegetation and blessed with marvellous architecture, we explore its impressive fortress. We pay a visit to the walled medieval town of Obidos, considered one of Portugal’s prettiest towns and then make our way to the important pilgrimage site of the Sanctuary of Fátima. We admire the Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage listed site of the Batalha Monastery before making our way to Cominbra, an old university town with a glorious past. Heading north, we travel to the city of Porto, set on the mouth of the Douro River, once an important Roman city, today it’s famous for port production and the surrounding vineyards. We gain an insight into the history of the area with a visit to the pre-Roman settlement of Briteiros and the baroque town of Braga.



Gallery View map

Tour Highlights

  • Batalha Monastery
  • The Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima

Inclusions

  • Peregrine tour leader transport, sightseeing and entrance fees.

  • 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners

Images Of Portugal

Day 1
Lisbon
Meals Privided:
, Dinner
Your trip starts today with your arrival in Lisbon, Portugal’s vibrant capital. Please make your own way to the joining hotel that is centrally located (details are in your travel documents). Whilst at your discretion, we recommend arriving and departing by train where possible within Europe due to this method of transports minimal carbon emissions. In the evening we meet our tour leader and our fellow travelling companions at a Welcome Meeting (this is usually at 6pm, but you will be advised as to the exact time and place in a notice, located near the reception at our hotel), where our leader will give us a briefing on what lies ahead on our tour. This is followed by a welcome dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 2
Lisbon
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
Today we explore the treasures of Lisbon, located on the banks of the River Tejo, this is truly one of Europe’s great cities, Much of Lisbon’s character and charm lies in its beautiful renovated buildings, its grand boulevards and its impressive castles and churches. With our guide we hop on the ‘electrico’ (tram) to tour the city. Our tour includes a visit to the Castle of Sao Jorge. Dating back to Moorish times, the castle sits on the highest point of the old town. Although much of the original castle has been destroyed throughout history some sections of walls and 18 towers remain today. We also visit one of the most symbolic buildings in the city, the Lisbon Cathedral, built on the site of an old mosque in 1150 by Gilbert of Hastings, Lisbon’s first bishop. We also wander through the charming narrow streets of local neighborhoods to see local life play out. The afternoon is free to make your own discoveries – a visit to the Belem tower is recommended as is a visit to the Monastery of the Jeronimos. This evening we regroup to learn more of Lisbon’s cultural heritage with an evening that includes a special dinner at a local restaurant with traditional fado music.
Day 3
Lisbon - Sintra – Lisbon
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Today we embark on a full day excursion from Lisbon; firstly travelling along the coast, following the estuary of the great river Tejo we reach the elegant resort town of Estoril where we stop for a short visit. Following the colourful Bay of Cascais with its dazzling beaches and we visit cosmopolitan Cascais. Once a quiet fishing village, in the 19th century Cascais later became a residence of the Portuguese royal court and today is a glamourous holiday destination. Our goal destination is Sintra, a absolute jewel of Portugal. This bewitching place with its fairytale atmosphere, set amidst lush vegetation and mystical hills has inspired poets, writers and travelers for centuries including Lord Byron. We spend time here exploring Sintra’s Fortress. On our drive back to Lisbon this afternoon as we approach the capital, from the other bank of theTajus we see a difference perspective of the capital. After our full day or touring, the evening in Lisbon is at leisure.
Day 4
Lisbon - Fátima – Coimbra
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Farewelling Lisbon this morning we travel to the pretty medieval town of Óbidos; On a short stroll through this romantic town, we encounter charming cobblestone streets lined with colorful houses bursting with geranium and bougainvillea flower boxes, gothic doorways and whitewashed churches. From here we continue to the Monastery of Batalha, one of Europe’s best examples of Gothic architecture. World Heritage listed, the monastery was built to celebrate Portugal’s 1385 victory over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota. Our next stop is the important religious pilgrimage site of the Sanctuary of Fátima, known as the site where the three young shepherds saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Our final destination for today and our base for the evening is the university city of Coimbra. With a local guide we wander through the ancient streets and squares of the Old University and historical quarter.
Day 5
Coimbra – Porto
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Leaving Coimbra today, we travel northbound to Portugal’s second largest city; Porto (Oporto) on the river Douro. This will be our base for the next two nights. On a guided tour of the city, we discover the Cathedral, the Tower of Clérigos and the impressive hall of Porto’s Sao Bento railway station. Porto is famous for its tawny and ruby ports so after our exploration of the city we descend to the banks of the Douro and visit one of the local wine callers in Gaia where there’s the opportunity to sample some of these famous ports.
Day 6
Guimarães - Citania de Briteiros
Meals Privided:
Breakfast, Dinner
Today we travel to Guimarães. As Portugal’s first capital and the birthplace of the country’s first king, Guimarães.The town offers a well-conserved old city and an impressive castle which we explore on our visit. From here we will discover the pre-Roman archaeological site of Briteiros; a Celtic hill settlement site that dates back over 2500 year, this hill top fort was the Iberian Celts last stronghold against the Romans. Next it’s on to Braga,considered by many as one of Portugal’s most stunning cities, the charm of the city lies in it’s impressive Baroque buildings, most notably the Bom Jesus Sanctuary. After our day of exploration, we drive back to Porto. This evening we join together for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 7
End Porto
Meals Privided:
Breakfast
Our tour comes to an end in Porto, this morning after breakfast.

IN A NUTSHELL

7 days
$2,695
15

TOUR INFORMATION

Start End Price
13/05/201219/05/2012 $2,695
09/06/201315/06/2013 $2,695
02/06/201308/06/2013 $2,695
19/05/201325/05/2013 $2,695
12/05/201318/05/2013 $2,695
07/10/201213/10/2012 $2,695
30/09/201206/10/2012 $2,695
16/09/201222/09/2012 $2,695
09/09/201215/09/2012 $2,695
24/06/201230/06/2012 $2,695
10/06/201216/06/2012 $2,695
03/06/201209/06/2012 $2,695
20/05/201226/05/2012 $2,695
23/06/201329/06/2013 $2,695
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