10 Days Porto to Lisbon.
Highlights Include: Wine tasting in Douro Valley, Coimbra, Tomar, Óbidos, Évora, & Lisbon.
Specially customized for private small groups of 6 to 12 guests.
Authentic Portugal
DAY 1 ARRIVE PORTO, PORTUGAL: Welcome to Portugal! After clearing customs, enter the arrivals area where you will meet your transfer driver. Depart from the airport and make your way to your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure in Porto.
DAY 2 PORTO: Enjoy breakfast in your hotel. Afterwards, meet with your private guide and driver in the hotel lobby and depart on an unforgettable sightseeing tour through the heart of ancient Porto. Part of your tour includes a walking tour along the winding cobblestone lanes that tumble down towards the Douro. See the remarkable bridges that span the river and the Gothic Church of St. Francis. Visit the Stock Exchange Palace with its splendid Arabian Hall inspired by Granada’s Alhambra. Then head to Burmester Wine Cellar for a visit and tasting before taking a ride along the Douro River aboard a traditional, flat-bottomed rabelo boat like those used for centuries to transport port wine down the river. Afterwards, return to your hotel where your evening is free. (B)
DAY 3 DOURO VALLEY EXCURSION: After breakfast, meet with your private guide and driver in the hotel lobby. Colorful, eclectic Porto rises on staggered hills beside the Douro River where the river empties into the Atlantic. Port wine originated here in the 17th century and is still the region’s mainstay product, brought down from the vineyards of the Douro River Valley. Begin the day with a drive through the valley and some of the most unusual and breathtaking wine country in the world – where the serpentine river winds along deep gorges and mountains ringed with terraces and carved into vast patchworks of vineyard estates, and baroque villas, like hilltop castles, dot the landscape. The hardy grape varieties suitable for port are all native to the region and thrive in the sandy, infertile soil with roots that reach down thirty feet or more in search of water.
Today you visit two of the region’s famous wineries. First stop will be at Quinta do Covela Winery, once home to renowned Portuguese film director Manoel de Oliveira. Today, it’s home to some dazzling vinho verde wine. Then on to Quinta da Marrocco for a rosé tasting, and a light lunch. Afterwards, travel to the pretty town of Pinhão where you will enjoy a one-hour traditional Douro rabelo boat tour, on a breath-taking stretch of the Douro River, between vineyards in wonderful terraces. Later, return to Porto for overnight. (B/L)
DAY 4 PORTO/ COIMBRA / TOMAR / ÓBIDOS: After breakfast, meet with your private driver and start your journey towards Óbidos. Pause in Coimbra, one of Portugal’s oldest cities. Meet with a local English-speaking guide for a private guided tour of one of the oldest universities in the world. The University of Coimbra was founded in Lisbon in 1290 but relocated here in 1308. While walking through the campus, take note of the uniforms its students wear; they were the inspiration for the attire worn by Harry Potter and his classmates. Visit its 18th-century library, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to some 56,000 volumes, many of which date from the 16th to 18th centuries.
After lunch on your own, head to the town of Tomar, set within one of the most fertile regions on the Iberian Peninsula. One of Portugal’s historical jewels, the town was established inside the walls of the Convento de Cristo, a former Roman Catholic convent originally built as a stronghold of the Knights Templar in the late 12th century. On a private guided tour of the Convento, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, explore the wonders inside this labyrinthine complex that includes the fortified Round Church, the “Bread” Cloister, the Refectory and more, and learn how the Convento and Tomar itself became especially important in the 15th century as a center of Portuguese overseas expansion under Henry the Navigator. Continue to Óbidos where you check in to your hotel. (B)
DAY 5 ÓBIDOS / ÉVORA: Following breakfast, meet with a local English-speaking guide and enjoy a private 2-hour walking tour of the hilltop walled town of Óbidos, described by Condé Nast Traveler as “a medieval town that looks like it was lifted from the pages of a fairy tale.” Enjoy time to wander along its cobbled streets that meander up to the ramparts, passing picturesque, whitewashed houses charming with cascading bougainvillea and painted doors of every color. According to a popular legend, ever since King Dinis gifted this pretty town to his beloved Queen Isabel de Aragon in the 13th century, princes have offered it to their brides too. After lunch, head for Évora, a walled medieval town of whitewashed houses and wrought-iron balconies. Check into your historic hotel located in the heart of this museum city. (B)
DAY 6 ÉVORA: After breakfast, meet with a local English-speaking guide and start your day with a 2-hour private walking tour of Évora’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including its beautiful botanical gardens. The city’s history reaches back 2,000 years; Portuguese kings resided here during the country’s Golden Age, and you’ll see royal palaces rich in Manueline architecture as your local guide peels back Évora’s layers of history with stories about its Roman roots, its Moorish influences, and its glory years in the Middle Ages as a seat of learning and the arts. The remainder of your day is at leisure to explore at your own pace. Overnight in Évora. (B)
DAY 7 ÉVORA / LISBON: Enjoy breakfast in your hotel. Afterwards, meet with your private driver and depart on your journey towards Lisbon. On arrival, check in to your centrally located hotel and enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure in Lisbon. (B)
DAY 8 LISBON: After breakfast, meet with your local English-speaking guide and driver and depart on a private 4-hour tour of Lisbon. Delve into Lisbon’s centuries old seafaring heritage, paying tribute to the brave men who set off from these shores to discover a new world. You’ll see the shimmering white Monument to the Discoveries, the iconic suspension bridge spanning the River Tagus, and Belem Tower, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s expedition. Walk through the cobblestone alleys of quaint Alfama, the popular quarter of the seamen and Fado singers. Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Hieronymite Monastery, an exquisite testament to 15th century Manueline architecture and art. Afterwards, return to your hotel and enjoy your afternoon at leisure to explore or shop at your own pace. (B)
DAY 9 EXCURSION TO SINTRA & CASCAIS: Enjoy breakfast. Meet with your guide and driver and depart on a full-day private excursion. Visit Sintra – a romantic city of castles, monuments, and palatial estates. A city tour includes the National Palace of Pena, a Romanesque retreat crowning a mountain peak, and resplendent with yellow and pink painted buildings, crenellated turrets, and a medley of architectural style. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant before visiting the fishing village of Cascais, with its beautiful array of mansions and exclusive residences. Enjoy some free time before returning to Lisbon for overnight. (B/L)
DAY 10 RETURN TO THE USA: After breakfast, transfer to Lisbon airport. After a wonderful time in Portugal, you will head back home to the USA! (B)
Customize to Suit
The above suggested itinerary can be customized to suit; more or less meals, different cities and/or sightseeing based on your clients’ interests. You name it, our expert group specialist professionals will put it together for you. Please call 1-800-818-8455, or simply complete the group request form, and we’ll get back to you with your proposal.
Inclusions
- 9 nights 4- or 5-Star hotels, including hotel porterage of one suitcase per person
- Breakfast daily, except day of arrival
- Dinners added as requested
- Private full-day local English-speaking guide in Porto (7 hours)
- Entrance to the Stock Exchange Palace, Porto
- Visit Burmester Winery in Porto, including tasting
- Douro River Cruise, Porto
- Private full-day Douro Valley Excursion with your driver
- Visit Quinta do Covelo Winery, including tasting
- Visit Quinta do Marrocco Winery, including tasting
- 1-hour river cruise in Pinhão
- Private guided tour of Coimbra with local English-speaking guide (4 hours)
- Entrance to Coimbra University
- Private guided tour of Tomar with local English-speaking guide (2 hours)
- Entrance to Convento do Cristo, Tomar
- Private guided walking tour of Obidos with local English-speaking guide (2 hours)
- Private guided walking tour of Évora with local English-speaking guide (2 hours)
- Private guided tour of Lisbon with local English-speaking guide (4 hours)
- Entrance to Hieronymite Monastery, Lisbon
- Private full-day excursion to Sintra and Cascais with driver and local English-speaking guide (8 hours)
- Entrance to National Palace of Pena, Sintra
- Portfolio of travel documents
- 24-hour local customer service while traveling in Portugal
Private Departures
Please Call 1-800-818-8455 for Group Rates on this Custom Group Journey
This suggested itinerary can be customized to suit; more or less meals, different cities and/or sightseeing based on your clients’ interests. You name it, our expert group specialist professionals will put it together for you. Please call 1-800-818-8455, or simply complete the group request form, and we’ll get back to you with your proposal.
Group Discounts
On custom journeys, discounts vary depending on group requirements. Typically, travel with a group of 20 and the 21st traveler receives a 100% discount* off the land portion of the vacation price. A second traveler receives a 100% discount* off the land on a group of 40 paying passengers.
*Per person prices are land only and based on two people sharing a room. Above dates represent “land start” date. Air: Please note that airfares are not included in the prices above. Journeys Connect can quote you the lowest possible GROUP airfare available on the day that you book. Minimum of 10 seats from same gateway. Less than 10 air seats will require full payment at time of booking. Single Room Supplement: On Request. Triple Room Reduction: On Request. Group discounts cannot be combined with our Triple Room discounts. Not valid on Specialty, Customized Vacations or River Cruises, optional extensions, extra nights, airfares, taxes and fees, flight supplements, or airport transfers. Other restrictions may apply. All passengers’ names must be advised before the discount is applied. *Group discount is on a twin-share basis only.
Contact Journeys Connect
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Travel professionals, please call and speak with one of our Group Specialty Professionals:
1-800-818-8455