Picture Perfect Portugal
Day 1 ARRIVE IN PORTO, PORTUGAL Welcome to Portugal! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Porto using your CosmosGO app. This evening, meet your Tour Director and travel companions at the welcome meeting.
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Day 2 PORTO On the included sightseeing tour of Porto, a local guide will show you the highlights of this city, built along the banks of the Douro River, close to its estuary. Look out for the painted tiles decorating the city, the colorful houses along the riverbanks, the Porto wine cellars, the cheerful souvenir shops, and much more. (B)
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Day 3 PORTO–VIANA DO CASTELO–VALENCA DO MINHO–PONTE DE LIMA–BRAGA Today’s exploration starts with a stop in Viana do Castelo, rich in palaces, churches, monasteries, and monumental fountains. Continue to the border town of Valenca do Minho, featuring a fortress facing the border with Spain marked by the Minho River. You may want to walk across the bridge to touch on Spanish soil and realize that you are on a different time zone! Next is Ponte de Lima, a charming town boasting an ancient Roman bridge, still perfectly maintained.
Today’s Distance: 135 mi/ 218 km (B)
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Day 4 BRAGA Two of the main highlights of this picturesque city, set in a green hilly landscape, are the cathedral (Se), and the Bom Jeusu do Monte sanctuary. The Se is the oldest in Portugal and major religious reference point throughout centuries. Thus comes the popular saying "older than the Braga Se", to denote something that is extremely old. The Sanctuary is a magnificent Baroque style complex with a stairway leading to the top with granite fountains on each landing. The day is at leisure today to discover independently. (B)
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Day 5 BRAGA–VILA REAL–GUARDA Perching on top of a headland, Vila Real preserves stately houses adorned with coats of arms, Manueline windows and traditional wrought iron balconies. Spend time visiting the old town and indulge in a tasting experience of the famous Douro Valley wines before reaching Guarda, the highest city in Portugal. Set over 3000 ft. above sea level on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, Guarda was founded in 1199 by King Dom Sancho I, and it is considered a true stronghold of a rich historical past, presenting several layers of History including a fascinating Jewish legacy. This city played a significant role in the defense line of the Portuguese border in the Middle Age and continues to be a charming city that holds a strong identity.
Today’s distance: 172 mi /277 km (B,D)
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Day 6 GUARDA–COIMBRA–FATIMA Join a sightseeing tour of Coimbra with a Local Guide, unveiling the must-sees of one of the most ancient university cities in Europe. Fatima is one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world. It became one since the Virgin Mary repeatedly appeared to three shepherd children in 1917, culminating in her revelation of the Three Secrets of Fátima.
Today’s Distance: 157 mi/ 252 km (B)
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Day 7 FATIMA–LISBON Arrive in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and enjoy a guided sightseeing tour including the monument dedicated to Henry the Navigator, who made Lisbon the 15th-century “Mistress of the Seas.” Also see the Belem Tower, the Moorish Citadel, the impressive Black Horse Square, and other highlights.
Today’s Distance: 79 mi/ 127 km (B)
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Day 8 LISBON Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
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Lisbon
Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.
Excursions
An Exploration of Lisbon (8 hours)
An Exploration of Lisbon (8 hours)
Highlights:
Lying north of the River Tagus estuary and stretching over seven hills, Portugal's capital city has much to offer. Receive a warm welcome at the port by your private guide and driver and from here commence your engaging tour of Lisbon.
Explore the Belem district with its magnificent Jerónimos Monastery, an extraordinary example of Portugal's 'Manueline' style of architecture. Once populated by monks, the UNESCO-listed monastery was commissioned by King Manuel I to celebrate Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India in 1498. Time permitting, visit Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), one of Lisbon's most iconic buildings and symbolic of Portugal's great Age of Expansion.
Next, it's time for a refreshment stop, where you may wish to sample the famous and scrumptious Pastéis de Belém (Portuguese custard tarts). From here you return to your cruise ship.
- Discover the beautiful Belem district with its magnificent Jeronimos Monastery
- Behold the priceless treasures on display at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and try the exquisite pasteis de nata local pastries
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Tour can operate: Morning/Afternoon
Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information
Physical Activity Level: Light
Inclusions:
- Private transport by luxury car or minivan
- An expert local guide for 8 hours
- Entrance fees to all sights and museums
- All taxes
Not Included:
- All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
- Gratuities
Queluz, Sintra and Estoril (8 hours)
Queluz, Sintra and Estoril (8 hours)
Highlights:
Venture outside of Lisbon to explore Queluz, Sintra and Estoril during your private shore excursion. Take the short driver to the sumptuous 18th-century Queluz Palace, where you can admire the magnificent formal gardens and azulejo-lined canals.
Afterwards visit Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and Moorish emirs before them. Today, this town, nestling on the north side of the Sintra Mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stroll through the town where charming streets are filled with fine handicraft shops. You then descend to Guincho beach for a fabulous view of Cape Rock, the westernmost point of the European continent and continuing to the resort town of Estoril on the scenic coastal road with fantastic views, en route back to your cruise ship.
- Explore Queluz Palace, the summer residence of the Portugese Royal Family
- Take a short drive to Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and a UNESCO Word Heritage Site
Tour Duration: 8 hours
Tour can operate: Morning/Afternoon
Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information
Physical Activity Level: Light
Inclusions:
- Private transport by luxury car or minivan
- An expert local guide for 8 hours
- Entrance fees to all sights and museums
- All taxes
Not Included:
- All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
- Gratuities
Highlights of Lisbon (4 hours)
Highlights of Lisbon (4 hours)
Highlights:
See Belem Tower, one of Lisbon's iconic buildings and symbolic of the nation's Age of Expansion. Admire the impressive collection of painted and gilded Baroque coaches at the National Coach Museum.
Tour Duration: 4 hours
Tour can operate: Morning/Afternoon
Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information
Physical Activity Level: Light
Inclusions:
- Private transport by luxury car or minivan
- An expert local guide for 8 hours
- Entrance fees to all sights and museums
- All taxes
Not Included:
- All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
- Gratuities
Porto (Oporto)
Porto (Oporto), Portugal's second largest city, is full of interest, and the district it heads offers the visitor plenty to see. Along the coast, there are resorts like the cosmopolitan beach of Espinho, busy ports like Matosinhos, with splendid seafood, or traditional fishing towns like Póvoa de Varzim, and there is also an animated casino. Charming Amarante has 17th century mansions overlooking the river and is famous for a sweet egg pastries called "papos de anjo" (angel bellies). In Vila Nova de Gaia, there are lodges where Port wine is blended and aged and where tasting are offered, or visitors may take a river cruise along the Douro. The whole district is filled with prosperous towns, but there are also many calm roads with wonderful views over the river and a rugged and still unspoilt coastline.
Excursions
Portugal: Porto Wine Excursion - 4 hours
Portugal: Porto Wine Excursion - 4 hours
Highlights
In this tour you’ll discover all about the wines from the city of Porto!
You will start the tour by doing a sightseeing tour from the port (located in Matosinhos) to the city center. After that, you'll visit the first winery with high quality of Douro wines for a Douro red and white wines tasting as an exclusive experience.
Then you'll visit a second Port Wine company (Real Companhia Velha) for another special Port Wine tasting. Real Companhia Velha is simply the oldest Port Wine company in Porto, established by a king in 1756. When this tour is finished you will return to Porto Pier.
What's included?
- Private guided tour (4h)
- Visit and wine tastings
- Transportation
What's not included?
- Meals and drinks not mentioned
- Souvenirs
- Gratuities
Highlights of Porto (4 hours)
Highlights of Porto (4 hours)
Highlights:
Take in the attractive surrounding with visit to the opulent Stock Exchange Palace and St Francis Church. Enjoy a port wine tasting at one of the famous riverside lodges in the pretty Riberia district.
Tour Duration: 4 hours
Tour can operate: Morning/Afternoon
Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information
Physical Activity Level: Light
Inclusions:
- Private transport by luxury car or minivan
- An expert local guide for 8 hours
- Entrance fees to all sights and museums
- All taxes
Not Included:
- All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
- Gratuities