A Week In... Portugal

Tour begins: 2:00 PM, Hotel Infante Sagres. A transfer is included from Porto Int’l Airport to Hotel Infante Sagres in the city’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a guided ride aboard a traditional Rabelo boat along the Douro River in Porto this afternoon. Please join us tonight for a welcome reception followed by dinner at the hotel.

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 guided tour of Porto’s historic district and its beguiling architecture, from medieval to Baroque to Beaux-Arts, winding alleyways, miradouros (lookout points), opulent palaces and churches. Public art is everywhere in the boldly colored painted tiles (azulejos) that adorn city buildings, including the historic São Bento train station, which you'll see. Visit a port wine cellar for a tour and tasting before lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the Douro. Return to your newly restored hotel in Porto’s historic district to relax and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening as you please.

This morning travel to Coimbra, located on the Mondego River in central Portugal, for a guided tour of one of the oldest universities in the world. The University of Coimbra was actually 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 in Coimbra, 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 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 on to the seaside Praia D’EI Rey Marriott Golf & Beach Resort in Óbidos for an overnight stay.

Spend the morning exploring on your own in 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, where you'll visit a family-owned cork factory with your local guide. Check into your luxury hotel, a restored 15th-century convent outside of town, where dinner tonight is at your leisure.

Start your day with a 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. After lunch, return to your hotel in Évora and spend the rest of the day and evening as you wish.

Depart Évora and head for Portugal's colorful capital city of Lisbon; upon arrival, enjoy a guided visit to the Gulbenkian Museum, followed by a walk and food tasting tour of the Alfama and Mouraria districts with your local guide. This afternoon's sightseeing includes a guided tour of the Belem district, a visit to the Monument to the Discoveries, and Jeronimos Monastery, where Vasco da Gama and Portugal’s kings are buried (subject to availability).  Check into your landmark Lisbon hotel on the luxurious Avenida da Liberdade, and spend the evening as you please in this historic city.

Today, visit Sintra – a romantic city of castles, monuments, and palatial estates, where your morning includes a tour of 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 styles; it was inspired by castles on the Rhine. After some free time to explore as you wish in Sintra, meander through picturesque landscapes to the beach town of Cascais on the Portuguese Riviera for a walking tour; return to Lisbon for an afternoon spent as you please. Then join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner at a local venue in Portugal's historic capital.

Tour ends: Lisbon. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa to Lisbon Airport. You should allow a minimum of 3½ hours for flight check-in.