Experience Portugal in 10 Days | Touring it for 8 Days

Our trip begins with your arrival at the airport, on the way to your accommodation we will give you some useful information about the city, as well as restaurants or other interesting places next to your accommodation. Overnight in Oporto

First Day - Oporto Our day will begin with a panoramic visit a panoramic visit to the Boavista neighborhood where the daring architecture of “Casa da Musica” does not go unnoticed, built in 2005 a building of angular construction, disconcerting and daring, not consensual for the most “classic” of Oporto citizens. We will continue towards the center of the city, making a visit the Cordoaria Garden, the Victoria District (last Jewish quarter), the Clerigos Tower that its watching us from the top of its 76 meters, and more than 200 steps with a fantastic view over the city and the river, its 49 bells that form a big chime that can frighten you when they start playing, but it will be worth visiting. The fantastic Lello Bookstore (considered by CNN to be the most beautiful in the world) where JK Rowling who was married to a Portuguese and lived in the city, get inspiration to write Harry Potter nobel. Its staircase the main attraction, people from all over the world come to visit the bookstore searching for books, and also to understand the universe that inspired the creator of the history of the world’s best known magician, very close to Carmo Church and Carmelites and the Paris Galleries where the city comes alive every night. Oporto City Hall , “Baixa do Porto” around the renowned Avenida dos Aliados, city´s focal point, where everything happens, from the festivities to the strikes, at one end the beautiful Oporto City Hall and the other end the “Praça da Liberdade”, where a statue of a Pedro IV Brazil emperor of Brazil Portuguese king great defender of the liberalism movement, shows his gratitude to this city. Visit the Sao Bento train station, where the 20 thousand tiles of the Portuguese artist Jorge Colaco will take us on a journey through Portuguese History and the Douro and Minho traditions, a true open book that awaits us to show us the true experiences of this beautiful city. Oporto Cathedral where we find vestiges of its first Romanesque architecture style, a fortress church with two towers and the fantastic rosacea on the main facade. The Merchants street (oldest in Oporto), towards the riverside area we will visit the San Francisco Church built in the 12th century in a Romanesque architecture later transformed into Gothic and later Baroque, three naves full of golden carvings, in which is estimated to have been used over 300 kilos of gold, the Jesse Tree is another of it´s great attractions, a polychrome wood sculpture considered one of the best in the world. In the Bolsa Palace, built in the 19th century in a neoclassical style and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the “Patio das Naçoes” or the Arab Hall is the main attraction, with decorative stucco with marquetry floors and inlaid coats and heraldic representations and lovely sculptures. Crossing D. Luiz I Bridge, we will arrive at Gaia, where a boat trip of approximately 50 minutes can be a great option, a different way of seeing Oporto. Now the most awaited visit, the visit to a Port Wine cellar, where the famous port wine is being aged, so that it can be taken and tasted all over the world. Then the best Oporto view through the Serra do Pilar Monastery, World Heritage by the Unesco, its construction started t in 1538, with an unusual shape, circular plant, a replica of the church of Santa Maria Redonda in Rome, 100 steps will take you to the dome, which surrounds the church. Offer - Visit and tasting at Port Wine Cellar Overnight in Oporto

Second Day - Braga and Guimaraes Discover this region is to engage with the Minho region, by exploring the first capital of the Nation: the city of Guimaraes, World Heritage Site since 2001, located in the sacred hill where a D. Afonso Henriques’ statue appears to be standing on guard (first Portuguese King). And no better place to start than its Castle (Portugal foundation’s Castle), followed by São Miguel Church and Paço dos Duques de Braganca (Braganca house’s Palace). Right after we explore the old medieval streets that appear to have left tale of fantasy, ending where beautiful squares reign, like Sao Tiago, Toural and Oliveira. Now it’s time to taste the delicious Santa Clara’s pastry (Pastel de Santa Clara). Time to visit Braga, our days a modern flourishing city, but where you can feel the ancient roman and medieval past, as we can observe the many influences of various civilizations on its walls and façades and its predominantly Baroque interior, the main entrance and entrance side streets make the locals use the cathedral to make their way through their busy routines and give the Catedral an unusual, almost familiar charm that shows the grandeur of this space. The biggest attractions of the city, such as the Episcopal Palace with its gardens, the Largo and the Church of the Cross, and finally the Republic Square where you can feel the pulse of this vibrant city. We will visit its 12th Century Cathedral, where the cross used for the first mass in Brazil is kept, admire its magnificent tube organs, visit the upper choir and the mortuary chapels of some bracarensese archbishops where we will find the tombs of the fathers of the first Portuguese king (D. Afonso Henriques). Now we drive uphill to visit the “jewel of the crown”, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, the marvel of the baroque period. Starting by climbing (or not) the 581 steps and to let ourselves get spiritually involved by its chapels that tell us the story of the Via Sacra (Stations of the Cross) and relax in its green gardens. Built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with various architectural styles between the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical, with several chapels of the Via Sacra and the Church, a monumental staircase punctuated by statues and symbolic sources, this model had wide repercussions in Portugal and Brazil. This Sanctuary of Bom Jesus served as inspiration for numerous constructions around the world, Bom Jesus de Congonhas, in Brazil, the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies, in Lamego, among others. Ever imagined being driven by a water-powered elevator using water counterweights, the oldest in the world without ever having known an accident, with a cabin deposit that is at the top of the route is attested of water to, through the difference of weight, make the other cabin go up the slope, the water being emptied when it reaches the foot. Simple and effective a water tank that fills the upper plane and empties in the lower plane. The amount of water to be placed is determined by the passengers, at the time of departure, the driver of the lower cabin informs the superior by a sound signal the number of passengers in that cabin and it fills the tank with an amount of water according to these information. The weight of the water, together with the weight of the passengers, causes this cabin to descend and from the opposite side to the cabin with new passengers. Offer - Ride on the water powered elevator Overnight in Oporto

Third Day - Oporto/Amarante/Douro Valley Today we will leave our hotel in Oporto, being our first stop at Amarante, our first stop will be in Amarante where we can pray to a well-known matchmaker saint, Sao Gonçalo de Amarante. In Amarante historical center, will witness several examples of Romanesque architecture and middle age buildings, along the Saint Goncalo bridge you can enjoy some of the most touristic points of the city such as the Saint Goncalo Church and Convent, the Amadeu de Souza-Cardoso Museum as well as the XVIII century bridge that joins the banks of the Tamega river, the largest tributary of the Douro river. On the weekends everywhere we see vendors selling the Saint Gonçalo local sweets with a phallic appearance, causing curiosity and laughter, even the name of this “weird” local sweet makes people laugh… they are popularly called “quilhõezinhos de S. Gonçalo”. Theres a long tradition in Amarante that says that in saint Gonçalo celebrations (June), young people offer those sweets to the girls they want to conquer. Now it´s time stop in Casal de Loivos viewpoint and admire a breathtaking view, between mountains and valleys designed by man in tune with nature considered by many the view in all the Douro Valley. Next we visit the Peso da Regua and Pinhao train station where the 24 tile panels show us the old artisanal way of winemaking in this region World heritage Site by UNESCO since 2001, being the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, established in the 10th of September of 1756 by the Prime Minister of Portugal at the time, the Marquis de Pombal. And now the reason that brought us to the Douro Valley, a visit and degustation in a Quinta ( a winemaker ), where we will make you understand whole process, from cultivation, pruning, harvesting, to the long-awaited final product of, the wine, surely at the end all will have the same opinion, how difficult it is to produce wine in this beautiful region. Offer - Visit and tasting in a Winery Overnight at Peso da Regua

Fourth Day - Douro Valley/Lamego/Viseu/Coimbra Today the day begins with a visit to Lamego, more precisely in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies with its splendorous staircase, built in the XVIII century, on the summit Saint Estevan hill, in honor of Senhora dos Remédios, patroness of Lamego. Its staircase, from the center of the city to the top of the hill, full of holy places and surprising nooks, is probably the greatest symbol of devotion to Our Lady of Remedies. Passage to another important Portuguese city, Viseu known for transmitting the Portuguese’s clutch, full of sacred art and religious architecture, as can be seen in the churches that adorn the historic center, the Sacred Art Museum and the Cathedral itself, one of the most emblematic Viseu buildings a rela testimony of the importance of this city. The Viseu Cathedral is in fact, an excellent starting point for a city visit, in Adro square, one of the main places of interest of the historical center, you can find, in addition to the Cathedral and the Museums, Misericordia Church, the pillory and the Ride of the Canons. Here it is not uncommon to encounter the black granite, characteristic of the region, framing in contrast the white facades of immaculate aspect. From here we go to Coimbra, for an overnight stay. Offer - Visit and tasting in Cheese factory Overnight in Coimbra

​Fifth Day - Coimbra Visit to Coimbra, starting the day with a visit to Biblioteca Joanina at the Coimbra University, the construction of it began in the year 1717, over the old prison of the Royal Palace, and was completed in 1728. The Joanine Library is recognized as one of the most original and spectacular European baroque libraries. The master of works was Joao Carvalho Ferreira. It´s decoration was only realized some years later, already on the eve of the Pombaline Reformation: the frescoes of the ceilings and cimalhas were executed by António Simões Ribeiro, painter, and Vicente Nunes, gilder. The celebrated portrait of King D. João V is attributed to the Italian Domenico Dupra and the painting and gilding of the shelves was carried out by Manuel da Silva. Optional we can discover one of the Portuguese most emblematic Portuguese dishes, “Leitao da Bairrada” (suckling piglet). A piglet ( around forty days ) and that has only been fed with milk, the animal, completely eviscerated, gets into hot water and all the bristles are removed, until the skin is absolutely white and inserted in the oven (remember that the Portuguese oven is made of wood) for two hours, you have to move it every half hour, cleaning it thoroughlyskin with a cloth and returning it to the oven. This operation will cause the skin to harden and become crispy, which is the true secret of this stew. The Coimbra downtown or Historic Center is the denomination given to the central zone of the city, this designation was developed with the separation of the “High”, where lived the nobility, the clergy and later the students, and the “Baixa”, dominated by commerce, crafts and neighborhoods. Today, both are privileged places of the city, where services (banking, insurance, commerce), centuries of history, housing, culture, green spaces and leisure are mixed. It is here that you can find a part of the civic center of the city, the big shopping district (such as Rua Ferreira Borges), the traditional Municipal Market D.Pedro V, Coimbra train station and important monuments such as the Santa Cruz Monastery. Offer - Coimbra local Pastry Overnight in Coimbra

Sixth Day - Coimbra/Fatima/Obidos/Lisbon On this day we leave our hotel in Coimbra towards Fatima, considered by many one of the most important Marian Shrines in the world, where we will pay homage to Lady Mary, in the Cova da Iria. Visiting the visit to the two Basilicas there; Our Lady of the White Rosary, Holy Trinity and the Chapel of the Apparitions. The Chapel of the Apparitions as the first Chapel to be built shortly after the apparitions, located in the center of the Sanctuary is a place not to be missed, not for grandeur, but for the meaning, it is mandatory to visit it. At one end the Basilica of Our Lady of the White Rosary, built in 1928 with a neo-baroque architecture, here you will find the tombs of the three little shepherd children (Francis and Jacinta), and now also the tomb of Sister Lucia, in the other end the imposing Basilica of the Holy Trinity, built in 2007 with more than 8,000 seats and 40,000 m² of area designed by the Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis. Leaving Fatima, we will arrive in Obidos, (Unesco World Heritage), were we will relive a trip back in time to the medieval period and explore the beautiful narrow whitewashed streets that Obidos have to offer us. Obidos belonged to the defensive pentagon of the Five Castles, this by the hands of the Templars, later used as a wedding gift by the Portuguese King Dinis I, to his wife Queen Isabel, the village became part of the House of the Queens. Most of the Portuguese queens in Portugal was financed here receiving Obidos taxes and leaving great benefits there too Quenn Catarina order the construction of the important aqueduct and its sources to be built. Here we will discovery of one of themos famous and appreciated Portuguese liqueurs, the Obidos “ginja”, prepared? Offer - Ginja cherry liqueur Overnight in Lisbon

Seventh Day - Lisbon We will start the our day with the visit to the area where in 1998, Lisbon received the Expo 98 world fair ( today´s Nations Park ) inspired by the glory of the Portuguese maritime expansion, with its bold architecture but functional, the great work of the Spanish architect Mr. Calatrava. A real success thus far eastern part of the city thus gained a new district with a population mainly of the upper middle class, and according to the data provided by the municipality, it is also the youngest and with more studies population in Portugal. Let us now discover the oldest part of Lisbon, Alfama, through its alleys and tiny streets, this ancient Arab Medina, after the Christian reconquest in the 12th century the Arab civilization that were living here were transferred to another hill and then was born the “Bairro da Mouraria” Discover Alfama is immersed in Portuguese authenticity, Fado the most typical and charismatic Portuguese music type, was born in this neighborhood, this strange melancholy felling to which Portuguese called “saudade”. Following, we will arrive at the Saint George Castle, another of the few physical remains of the Arab civilization in Portugal, not far we have the the Lisbon Cathedral built in the 12th century, in a Romanesque architecture, time to visit Saint Anthony’s Church the place where the this Portuguese holy matchmaker was born. Now it´s time to “climb” another Lisbon hill and know these two neighborhoods so different and at the same time so similar, the Bairro Alto neighborhood, known for its crossroads of streets that over the weekend fill with thousands of young people, come to enjoy of what is known as the most bohemian Lisbon neighborhood. Next to it we have the Chiado neighborhood where culture and art live hand in hand, or if it is not here that the great majority of theaters in Lisbon are concentrated, as in the oldest bookstores of the modern world. Lisbon Downtown, the quarter of Lisbon that was most devastated with the great earthquake of 1755 that devastated most of the city, time to understand the importance of the Pombaline architecture used to rebuilt the city in a completely different way. Wider area with many streets and squares, this already predicting a new earthquake, using anti-seismic architecture of the 18th century, Mr. Marques de Pombal, was the statesman responsible for the Lisbon reconstruction, as well as all the economic and social changes after the earthquake. Crossing the Liberty Avenue we will reach the Marques de Pombal square where we will stop next to Eduardo VII Park and try to understand the relationship and treaties between Portugal and England and the importance of this relationship in the future of Brazil and appreciate its fantastic view. After lunch, our tour continues to Belem, an authentic open book about the period of Portuguese maritime expansion, the site where the old shipyards and ports of Lisbon here, brave Portuguese explorers in the 15th century discovering the sea routes to India, Africa and Brazil, celebrating this glorious past, financed by the vast wealth that flowed to Portugal from the colonies. Here we are going to visit these three important Monuments; t Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery and the Discovers Monument, the last stop will be in the famous Belem pastry factory, to taste this fabulous conventual sweet that attracts millions of people every year. Offer - Belem custard Tart Overnight in Lisbon

Eight Day - Sintra, Cascais and Estoril On the last day of our road trip, we will start the day by leaving Lisbon where in a about 15 minutes we reach the we will leave Lisbon where in a about 15 minutes we reach the Queluz Palace (optional visit), the palace where the Portuguese Royal family were when the French invaded Portugal for that reason they move the capital to Brazil more precisely Rio de Janeiro, and where was born and died Dom Pedro IV of Portugal who simultaneously was Dom Pedro I of Brazil ( firs Brazilian King ). Time to enjoy the center of Sintra, with its narrow streets and tiny alleys. In the Sintra historic center, there are countless Portuguese handicraft shops, as well as the famous Sintra local sweets “Travesseiros” at Piriquita bakery, free time to enjoy this wonderful place. Sintra a place with a great concentration of historical monuments and interesting tourist attractions, here we will find more than 10 national monuments, including opulent palaces, ancient ruins and decorative luxurious houses dispersed by the different hills of the region in very challenging pedestrian paths. Your guide will help you to decide which Palace to visit (we suggest a maximum of two), between; Pena Palace, Monserrate Palace, the Masonic Quinta da Regaleira (with its original well), if you want something more Medieval, maybe the Moorish Castle the choice is yours according to your curiosity. A must stop to visit Cabo da Roca (westernmost point of the European continent), “where the Earth ends and the Sea begins ” written in Os Lusíadas, (Canto VIII) by Luis de Camoes, the most important Portuguese Poet of all times. The imposing Lighthouse with 165 meters height, and built in 1772, from there we will understand how important Atlantic Ocean is, revealing one of the most emblematic places in Portugal, a place of great importance in the period of Maritime expansion. the visit to “Boca do Inferno”, where we can easily understand the magnificence of this place, with the erosion exerted by the strong action of the rain containing dissolved carbon dioxide, causes the carbonate to dissolve and through this process, cavities and caves are formed inside the limestones, with a fall of the upper layers of the cave was destroyed, leaving a large cavity. In days of agitated sea you can observe the waves crashing inside the rocks, a cave that combines its natural beauty with the rough sea, a very beautiful place, where you can enjoy a divine landscape and perhaps one of the best sunsets, being only overshadowed by infrequent suicides committed on its dangerous and unprotected cliff. With its beautiful bay, Cascais is a very pleasant place to live or even for short vacations, full of small fishing boats, free time to explore the village, so recognized that it attracts thousands every year. Close to Sintra mountain range, Cascais was during the nineteenth century, the chosen spot by the Portuguese royal family for holidays that eventually dragged the nobility, in the historic center, will find many shops and restaurants Estoril, the scene of espionage during World War II, where Yan Fleming lived the esteemed writer of the books that gave birth to 007 where one can dazzle the immense properties as well as the Casino of Estoril (considered the largest in Europe). Offer - Sintra local pastry Overnight in Lisbon

Our experience in Portugal end´s with the transfer to the Lisbon airport.