TASTING PORTUGAL

8 Days / 7 Nights

Self Drive Tour

Day 1: Porto: Arrival at Porto airport and pick-up of the rental car. Overnight in Porto.

Day 2: Porto: Breakfast at the hotel. The city of Oporto is rich in well-preserved treasures, including Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical monuments, as the Cathedral, the Tower of Clérigos and the area of Ribeira (UNESCO world heritage site). Despite a stark preservation of ancient monu-ments and being a traditional city, Oporto also stands out for having ultra-modern buildings, much admired by international architects: Casa da Música, Serralves Foundation, among many others. Visit to a Port wine cellar with a superb view over the old Ribeira. Overnight in Porto.

Day 3: Porto | Douro Valley: Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Set to the phenomenal Douro region, the first demarcated wine region of the World (1756) and where the famous Port Wine is produced. You’ll be able to learn more about the production of the wines, while enjoying the beautiful landscape, World Heritage by UNESCO since 2001. The tour through the Douro Valley is ideal for getting to know the culture of wine in the region of the Douro Valley, the culture of the people and the great natural beauty of the River and the Valley of the Douro River, without doubt one of the most beautiful in Europe. Lunch in a local vineyard, with visit and wine tasting. Overnight in Douro Valley.

Day 4: Douro Valley | Sangalhos | Buçaco | Coimbra: Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Head to the Bairrada region, with abundant rainfall and mild temperatures that helps to produce grapes with high acidity and low alcohol content, ideal for making sparkling wines. Visit to a wine cellar and wine tasting. Then proceed to the large and majestic forest of Serra do Buçaco, a genuine botanical garden with 700 species, protected by a Papal Bull issued in the 17th century. Departure to Coimbra. Overnight in Coimbra.

Day 5: Coimbra | Óbidos | Lisbon: Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Coimbra, the city of students, so called to host one of the first universities in Europe and the most important of the country. Stroll in the oldest part of Coimbra, made of narrow streets that lead to the top of the hill. Departure to the charming village of Óbidos. Travel back in time in this walled medieval town and admire its Gothic churches and the narrow winding streets in stone. Proceed to Lisbon. Overnight in Lisbon.

Day 6: Lisbon | Sintra | Lisbon: Breakfast at the hotel. In a city that has been influenced by many different far-off cultures over time, there is still a village feel in each historic neighborhood. Stroll through the Pombaline grid of streets in the Baixa district that opens on to the Tagus in Praça do Comércio, then follow the river to discover some of the city’s most beautiful parts: the monumental area of Belém with its World Heritage monu-ments, the mediaeval district of Alfama and the latest contemporary leisure spaces, such as the Parque das Nações. Departure to Sintra, a beautiful village declared world heritage by UNESCO. Discover the charms and history of Sintra, explore the historic center and taste the local delights: travesseiros and queijadas. In the evening, dinner at a traditional restaurant while enjoying a Fado show. Return to the hotel. Overnight in Lisbon.

Day 7: Lisbon | Évora | Lisbon: Breakfast at the hotel. Set off to Évora, standing in the middle of the beautiful plains of the Alentejo. This walled city was declared World Heritage by UNESCO. We will visit the Roman Temple, dating back to the 3rd century AD and recovered in the 19th century and the strange Chapel of Bones with its pillars and walls covered by bones, from the 17th century. Visit to a winery with wine, cheese and olive tasting. Return to Lisbon. Overnight in Lisbon.

Day 8: Lisbon: Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Rental car drop off at Lisbon airport.

Package Includes:

7-nights accommodation in bed & break-fast basis;
Guided visit to a Port wine cellar with wine tasting;
2 guided visits to a wine estate with wine tasting;
1 lunch at a wine estate;
1 dinner with Fado show
7 days car rental

*Package descriptions and pricing are subject to change without notice.