Itinerary Details
Portugal In Depth With Azores
Day 1 ARRIVE IN LISBON, PORTUGALWelcome to Lisbon! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
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Day 2 LISBON Lovely Lisbon LISBON Guided sightseeing includes Jeronimos Monastery and cloister and a photo stop at Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOTS The stunning capital city of Portugal is a treasure trove of historic and architectural masterpieces. Lisbon is home to the 16th-century Monastery of Jerónimos, with its 100-foot façade featuring images of St. Michael the Archangel and Our Lady of Belém. See the 16th-century Belém Tower, which served as a fortress but also as an embarkation point for sailors and was their last sight of land before the start of their journey. Lisbon’s Monument to the Discoveries pays homage to great Portuguese explorers with a spectacular carved prow of an ancient ship.
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Day 3 LISBON–OBIDOS–NAZARÉ–ALCOBAÇA–FÁTIMA–TOMAR Sea, Surf & Sanctuaries OBIDOS Take an orientation walk of the medieval town.
NAZARÉ Free time to browse.
ALCOBAÇA Visit the Church of Santa Maria Monastery.
FÁTIMA Visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary en route to Tomar. (B,D)
130 mi / 220 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES The monastery of Alcobaça is a unique masterpiece of Gothic Cistercian art. See the tombs of King Pedro I and his Castillan lover, Ines de Castro, and hear about the heartbreaking tale of these ill- fated lovers. The king never stopped loving Ines even after she was murdered, and during his life he commissioned matching tombs that sit together so that they can look at each other as they rise from their graves.
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Day 4 TOMAR–COIMBRA–PORTO Academic Honors TOMAR Visit the Convent of Christ.
COIMBRA Visit the University. Scenic drive en route to Porto. (B)
155 mi / 250km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION The University of Coimbra is distinguished as the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in the world, it is also one of the best known and internationally celebrated. With a history of more than seven centuries, the students at Coimbra University dress in the traditional black capes with ribbons in varying hues as was the tradition when the school was founded in 1290.
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Day 5 PORTO Panoramas & Port Wine PORTO Guided sightseeing includes a panoramic drive to the mouth of the Douro River and the cathedral. Visit the Church of São Francisco and the Arabian Hall in the Stock Exchange. Enjoy a [LF] Port wine tasting at the famous Sandeman & Co Port Wine Cellar. Free time this afternoon. (B)
LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES You’re invited to the home of the most internationally recognized Porto wines at the magnificent Sandeman Wine Cellars. Here, taste centuries of tradition in a glass of Port wine in the city that bears its name. Saúde!
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Day 6 PORTO–GUIMARAES–PENAFIEL–VISEU Port & Petiscos GUIMARAES Orientation walk through the medieval district.
PENAFIEL [LF] Visit the gardens of the Quinta da Aveleda winery and enjoy Portuguese petiscos tasting. Take a scenic drive through the port wine vineyards en route to Viseu.
VISEU Dinner with local specialties and wine at Forno da Mimi restaurant. (B,D)
149 mi/ 240 km
LOCAL FAVORITE
HISTORY & HERITAGE The history of the Quinta da Aveleda estate spans the centuries and generations who have preserved the Portuguese traditions of wine making and proud legacy of the Guedes family. The architectural heritage of this cherished estate is only matched by its wines, produced, and nurtured as the largest Vinho Verde exporter and family-owned winery.
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Day 7 VISEU–BELMONTE–CASTELO DE VIDE–EVORA Bottles & Corks BELMONTE Visit the Jewish Museum. Enjoy an [LF] olive oil tasting.
CASTELO DE VIDE Walk through the Jewish quarter with free time to browse.
EVORA [LF] Visit a traditional cork factory. (B,D)
236 mi / 380 km
LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Discover the tradition and taste of authentic Portuguese olive oil in a 20th-century olive-oil-factory-turned-museum in Belmonte. See the machinery which farmers used to transform olives into oil and taste the delicious fruits of their labors. Perhaps take home a gift of wine, olive oil, or jam to commemorate your visit. Later, visit a Cork Factory in Evora to learn about this traditional artisanship of Portugal.
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Day 8 EVORA–ALGARVE Gothic Grandeur EVORA Guided walking tour includes the Gothic cathedral, the Sao Francisco Church, and the Ossuary Chapel. Free time for lunch.
ALGARVE Free time late afternoon and evening (B)
162 mi / 260 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION Walk back in time to the Roman era of Evora – a city with roots firmly planted in the 16th century in the home of Portuguese kings. See the white houses, architectural tiles, and embellished balconies with a stroll through the Gothic sites of the cathedral, church, and chapel.
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Day 9 ALGARVE. COASTAL EXCURSION Cliffs & Coastlines ALGARVE Join an excursion to the Promontory of Sagres, Cape St. Vincent, and Lagos. (B)
81 mi / 130 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PICTURE PERFECT Take in the breathtaking views of the sweeping southern coastline of Portugal in Algarve. Stand on the Promontory of Sagres and Cape St. Vincent to gaze at the glorious beaches, postcard-perfect fishing ports, and towering cliffs along the sea.
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Day 10 ALGARVE–AZEITÃO–LISBON Peninsula Miles & Painted Tiles ALGARVE Depart with a scenic drive along the Serra da Arrábida with views of the Tróia Peninsula.
AZEITÃO Visit a traditional tile workshop.
LISBON Enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,D)
180 mi / 290 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ART & ARTISTRY Enter a world of authentically handmade Portuguese tiles at the São Simão Arte workshop and gallery in Azeitão. It is here that distinguished antique collector Antonio Soares Franco creates his ceramic masterpieces by hand in the style of his ancestors.
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Day 11 LISBON–PONTA DELGADA The European Hawaii LISBON Fly to Ponta Delgada.
PONTA DELGADA Orientation walk. Free time. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PURE & NATURAL Mother Nature has created a land full of natural beauty, ready to be explored in the blue immensity of the Atlantic. Waterfalls tumble down basalt cliffs, rainforest-covered hills are topped by spectacular crater lakes and pale-green pastures are hedged by crowned by a kaleidoscope of hydrangeas. Dive into the rich cultural heritage as well with warm welcomes by local residents who graciously share stories of proud history and traditions.
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Day 12 PONTA DELGADA. EXCURSION TO THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND Volcanic Craters & Cups of Tea RIBEIRA GRANDE Stop at the top of Pico da Barrosa mountain and take in views of the volcano’s crater and the ocean.
MAIA Visit the oldest and only tea plantation in Europe.
FURNAS See geothermal activity in the area. Enjoy included lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the botanical gardens.
PONTA DELGADA Dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EUROPE’S CUP OF TEA Visit the oldest (and currently the only) tea plantation in Europe. Today the Tea Factory produces 40 tons of tea every year from 37 hectares of plantations without the use of chemicals products. One lump or two?
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Day 13 PONTA DELGADA Forbidden Fruit & Fruitful Landscapes PONTA DELGADA Enjoy the morning at leisure before an afternoon drive to visit a pineapple plantation. Continue to Pico do Carvao viewpoint and take in the region’s stunning beauty. Next drive to the bridge of Sete Cidades.
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Sete Cidades Lake is located in a volcanic crater about 4 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide with a depth of 30 metres. The lake is one of the seven Natural Wonders of Portugal and the largest natural freshwater reservoir in the Azores. The lake is actually two lagoons, called Green Lake (Lagoa Verde) and Blue Lake (Lagoa Azul), linked by a shallow channel. The differing hues of each lake are the natural result of varying reflected light, or it could be the legend of a blue-eyed shepherd and a green-eyed princess whose tears filled each lake with tears of forbidden love. You decide!
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Day 14 PONTA DELGADA–LISBON Leisure Time in Lisbon PONTA DELGADA Fly to Lisbon
LISBON Free time (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT Time to pack your bags and depart the magical Island of San Miguel with a flight to Lisbon to relax and reminisce over your adventure in Portugal.
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Day 15 LISBONSafe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
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