Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 Best of Portugal - Small Group (English Speaking) Small Group Experience in Portugal! Discover Portugal through this unique 8 day tour. From mouth watering Pasteis de Belem to endless ancient castles, this tour has the best combination of culture, gastronomical and historical spots in Portugal. Itinerary Day 1 - Arrive in Lisbon Arrival in Lisbon. Meet at the airport with our English speaking representative. Transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. Please note that, early access to the rooms has not been guaranteed. Luggage will be stored and you may access your rooms after 14:00. If rooms are ready before this time, the Hotel will allow you access as soon as the housekeeping is complete. Day 2 - Full Day Lisbon & Tuk Tuk Ride Meals included: Breakfast In the morning, meet your driver and Local guide for a tour of Lisbon, including the Belém quarter, with the Belém Tower, the church of the Hieronymites Monastery and Monument of the Discoveries. During your day, you’ll have the opportunity to taste the famous Pastel de Belém, the Portuguese custard tart. Lunch on your terms. In the afternoon, you’ll also have the chance to explore the ancient neighborhoods of Lisbon, like Alfama, on board of a Tuk Tuk (about 1 hour). Afterwards you’ll proceed to the Rossio and Praça do Comércio area, where you’ll have some free time. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Lisbon. Day 3 - Half Day in Sintra & Overload to Porto Meals included: Breakfast After breakfast, we will pick you up for a half day tour of Sintra, including a visit to the Pena Palace, followed by a Best of Portugal - Small Group (English Speaking)(© www.palacetours.com) 1/9 walk and free time in the village. On this day you'll have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscape of Sintra, considered World Heritage by UNESCO. Lunch on your terms. In the afternoon, scenic drive to Porto, where you’ll arrive early evening. Check-in and dinner on your own. Overnight in Porto. Day 4 - Full Day in Porto & Cooking Class Meals included: Breakfast; Dinner After breakfast, you’ll have a full day to discover Portugal’s second largest city: PORTO. This is the city that originated and named Porto Wine and Portugal, famed for its riverside hills, medieval alleys, Parisian-style plazas, historic monuments, churches and enchanting atmosphere. Enjoy a tour of the city and visit the impressive gothic church of Sao Francisco, as well as the Stock Exchange Palace and its famous Arab Room which is used now as a reception hall for personalities and heads of state. Lunch on your own. After we’ll walk along the historical center of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pass the beautiful cathedral and visit the São Bento Station, well worthy of a visit with the huge entrance hall covered with some twenty thousand pictorial tiles. The work of Jorge Colaço, they feature historical and ethnographic images. In the end of your day visit a wine cellar and enjoy a Port wine tasting. In the evening, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a Portuguese Cuisine cooking class, where you’ll learn to prepare traditional Portuguese dishes based upon typical recipes. After the class you can enjoy a well-deserved dinner with the food you prepared, paired with different Portuguese wines. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Porto. Day 5 - Full Day in Douro Valley Meals included: Breakfast; Lunch Departure to the dock of Gaia to embark for a cruise on the Douro. The unforgettable climb of the Douro will allow you to admire fabulous landscapes that offer navigation while crossing the locks of Crestuma and Carrapetelo, the highest in Europe with its 35 meters. You will not be able to remain indifferent to this grandiose valley classified with the World Heritage of Unesco, nor to its magnificent slopes in terraces where are planted the vines of the famous wine of Porto. Lunch on board. Arrival at PESO DA RÉGUA, belonging to the "hot land" of the Douro, region of controlled appellation wines since 1756. Back to the hotel by train (or by bus, upon availability). Return to your hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Porto. Day 6 - Overland Porto to Figueira Da Foz (Avelro, Balrrada & Colmbra) Best of Portugal - Small Group (English Speaking)(© www.palacetours.com) 2/9 Meals included: Breakfast; Lunch After check-out, we’ll travel to the city of AVEIRO to capture the essence of this “picture-book” destination, with its colorful gondola-shaped boats, natural lagoons, elegant 19th century architecture and traditional cobblestone passageways. Known as “The Portuguese Venice” due to its system of canals and boats, the quality of life is very high in Aveiro. It is a special place where old meets new. Walking tour of the village. Enjoy a mini boat Tour on tradicional “Moliceiro”. Afterwards we’ll proceed to Bairrada, where a meal of traditional suckling pig will be waiting for you, paired with sparkling wine from the region. In the afternoon we travel to Coimbra, a charming university town, known as Portugal’s Oxford (the university library is one of the masterpieces of baroque art). We’ll have the opportunity to visit the main buildings of Portugal’s oldest university (subject to availability) and walk along the maze of narrow streets. Check-in at the hotel, and evening at leisure. Overnight in Figueira da Foz. Day 7 - Obidos & Alcobaca - Pictuesque Fishing Village & Cistercian Abbeye Meals included: Breakfast; After breakfast, excursion to ALCOBAÇA where is one of the most beautiful Cistercian abbeys of Portugal, which was one of the richest and most powerful of the country. You will discover the church of the monastery and the moving love story of Pedro and Ines with your local guide. Continue to NAZARÉ, a picturesque fishing village, at the foot of a steep cliff. The most typical and colorful beach of Portugal will seduce you with its ancestral traditions where women dressed in black wear up to seven petticoats. Lunch on your own. Leisure time to stroll along this beautiful beach. Climb to the “Sítio” to admire the landscape. In the afternoon, proceed to BOMBARRAL to visit a quinta and taste various and delicious “aguardentes” (typical brandies) (subject to availability). Continue towards the fortified medieval town of ÓBIDOS with its typical narrow streets and ramparts that encircle the city. Tasting of the famous Ginjinha (cherry liqueur). Departure to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Figueira da Foz Day 8 - Transfer out of Lisbon Meals included: Breakfast Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to Lisbon airport. Destination Information Alcobaça Alcobaça is a city in Leiria District, Portugal. The city grew along the valleys of the rivers Alcoa and Baça, from which it derives its name. The city of Alcobaça became notable after the first king of Portugal, Best of Portugal - Small Group (English Speaking)(© www.palacetours.com) 3/9 Afonso Henriques, decided to build there a church to celebrate the conquest of Santarém to the Moors, in 1147. The church later evolved into the Monastery of Alcobaça, one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country. In the church are the tombs of King Peter I and his murdered mistress Inês de Castro. Over the centuries this monastery had an important role on Portuguese culture. Aveiro Aveiro is a coastal city in Aveiro Municipality in Portugal, which charms visitors with its many canals and the distinctive and interesting "moliceiros" boats that are used to collect seaweed. The small houses lining the beach area are quite attractive with their distinct colorful facades, painting a beautiful panorama. Several attractions in Aveiro, besides the canals and beaches, include the 16th century church of Misericórdia, Cathedral São Domingos, and the city's museum. In addition to holding the well carved tomb of Saint Joana in a richly gold decorated sanctuary, the museum also maintains an interesting collection of primitive and 15th Century art. Bairrada Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beira Litoral Province. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada. Bombarral Bombarral is a Portuguese municipality in the Oeste Subregion, region Centro Coimbra Coimbra served as Portugal's capital during the First Dynasty (12th Century) and remains home to the University of Coimbra, the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world and one of the oldest in Europe. The city contains important archeological remains of structures dating from the time when it was the Roman town of Aeminium. In the Late Middle-Ages, declining as the political center of the Kingdom of Portugal, Coimbra began to evolve into a major cultural center with the foundation of the University of Coimbra in 1290. Today this impressive university is still one of the world's most illustrious and the city's biggest attraction. On another square nearby is the historic Santa Cruz Monastery, containing the tombs of Portugal's first two kings. Figueira da Foz Figueira da Foz, also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's western coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, 40 km west of Coimbra, and sheltered by hills. Lisbon Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. Perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is one of the rare Western European cities that faces the ocean and uses water as an element that defines the city.