Portugal

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Lisbon: Moorish Aflame district

You will be lead a walking tour through the labyrinth of winding streets in Lisbon’s age-old Moorish Aflame district. Discover the hidden balconies, archways, terraces and courtyards of this hillside medieval quarter as you explore Lisbon’s remains of its Moorish aristocracy.

Lisbon: Castelo de Sao Jorge and Mosterio dos Jeronimos

Recall the Age of Discovery at Padrao dos Descobrimentos and the Torre de Belem. It was from here that many navigators set sail, including Bartolomeu Dias, who sailed around the southern tip of Africa. Then visit the Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon’s oldest monument, in the Alfama district. The early kings of Portugal once resided inside the castle, enjoying breathtaking views of the city and the Tagus River below. Visit to the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. Further relive the days when Portugal was a great trading empire as you visit the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, built by King Manoel to honour the country’s great voyagers.

Fatima and Coimbra: Batalha Dominican Monastery and Se Velho

On our way to Coimbra, you will stop and visit the Batalha Dominican Monastery. Built near the site of a 1385 battle where the Portuguese hero and King Joao I vanquished the Castilian army and preserved Portuguese independence. The flamboyantly carved stone monument took almost 200 years to complete and is one of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in all of Portugal. We then stop at Fatima, where millions of Catholics make a pilgrimage every year. Finally we visit Coimbra, one of the world’s first universities was founded here in 1290, and the city was the birthplace of many of Portugal’s great monarchs. On a tour led by a local guide, discover exquisite examples of Romanesque architecture, such as the Se Velho, a 12th-century church. We will also see the Museu Nacional Machado de Castro, once a palace belonging to local bishops and transformed into one of Portugal’s most impressive sculpture museums.

Porto: Torre dos Clerigos

We will this morning head to Porto, for which port wine and Portugal itself were named. Appropriately, Porto is also a port city and hangs picturesquely on the rocks carved by the River Douro. Climb 225 steps to the top of the Torre dos Clerigos and check out the views from one of northern Portugal’s tallest structures. You will also peruse one of Porto’s monasteries and visit a local wine cellar.

Cascais: Costa de Lisboa

Today we travel to the renowned beaches of Cascais and settle in for some sand, sun and surf on the Costa de Lisboa, and the coast of Estoril. Not only renowned for its beaches, this coast boasts coastal fishing villages, castles, churches and museums of sea life and musical instruments.

Sintra: Palacio Nacional de Sintra and Boca do Inferno

A local guide will show us Sintra, the famed summer residence of Portuguese kings, on our excursion today. Sintra was praised by famous Portuguese poet Luis de Cameos and referred to by Lord Byron as “glorious Eden.” Here, you’ll visit the Palacio Nacional de Sintra, a beautiful juxtaposition of Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance architecture styles, whose twin white conic chimneys can be spotted from quite a distance. On the way back, you will stop at Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell), a huge cleft carved in the rock by the pounding Atlantic surf, which can become cauldron-like during heavy storms!

Lisbon: Ocenarium

Today we travel back to Lisbon and in the afternoon visit the world famous Oceanarium, the Lisbon Oceanarium. The second largest aquarium in the world and the largest in Europe the Oceanarium is home to over 16,000 animals and plants from over 450 distinct species. Four towers surround a central tank to house four “oceans”: the Antarctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian, with their native flora and fauna.