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→ Itinerary

Itinerary

DAY 1 USA / LISBON: Fly transatlantic overnight from the USA to Lisbon, Portugal. Dinner is served, and in-flight entertainment is provided.

DAY 2 ARRIVE LISBON, PORTUGAL: Welcome to Portugal! After clearing customs, enter the arrivals area where you will meet your tour director and coach driver. After a short welcome, depart from the airport and make your way to your hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure in Lisbon. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner in your hotel. (D)

DAY 3 LISBON: After breakfast, depart on a 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 15^th century Manueline architecture and art. This evening enjoy dinner and a traditional Fado show. (B/D)

DAY 4 EXCURSION TO SINTRA & CASCAIS: Enjoy breakfast. Today, 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. Visit 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)

DAY 5 LISBON / OBIDOS / COIMBRA: After breakfast, depart from Lisbon and start your journey towards Coimbra. Pause in the hilltop walled town of Óbidos, described as “a medieval town that looks like it was lifted from the pages of a fairy tale.” Enjoy some free 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. Continue 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 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. Onwards to Coimbra for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

DAY 6 COIMBRA / PORTO: After breakfast, depart for a 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, depart from Coimbra and make your way to Porto for overnight. (B)

DAY 7 PORTO: Enjoy breakfast in your hotel. Afterwards, join your tour director and a local guide for a sightseeing tour in Porto which takes you past baroque churches and 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 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. The remainder of your afternoon and evening are free in Porto. (B)

DAY 8 DOURO VALLEY EXCURSION: 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. Stop at a winery for a tour and tasting, followed by lunch. Later, return to Porto for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

DAY 9 PORTO AIRPORT / USA: After breakfast, you will leave the hotel for Porto Airport. After a wonderful time in Portugal, you will head back home to the USA! (B)

IMPORTANT: This tour includes walking tours. To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surface.

→ Inclusions

 Inclusions

• Round-trip air from Chicago to Lisbon return from Porto on United Airlines
• Lisbon – 3 nights, 4-Star Hotel My Story Figueira
• Coimbra – 1 night, 4-Star Vila Gale Coimbra
• Porto – 3 nights, 4-Star Hotel NH Porto Jardim
• Breakfast daily, except day of arrival
• 1 Lunch in winery, Douro Valley
• 4, three-course dinners, including a traditional Fado Show in Lisbon
• English Speaking Tour Director throughout
• Luxury coaching for transfers and sightseeing
• Sightseeing tour of Lisbon
• Entrance to Belem Tower. Lisbon
• Entrance to Hieronymite Monastery, Lisbon
• Excursion to Sintra and Cascais
• Entrance to National Palace of Pena, Sintra
• Entrance to Convento, Tomar
• Visit the University of Coimbra
• Sightseeing tour of Porto
• Entrance to the Stock Exchange Palace, Porto
• Douro River Cruise, Porto
• Douro Valley Excursion
• Winery tour and tasting in Douro Valley
• Hotel porterage of one suitcase per person
• 24-hour emergency customer service while in Portugal

IMPORTANT: This tour includes walking tours. To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surface.

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