Highlights of Lisbon & Porto – Group Sightseeing Holidays in Portugal

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Lisbon

Private coach transfer to our hotel. Depending on our arrival time, we’ll have a stroll alongside the fabulous coastal line of Cascais, before dinner.

View from Miradouro da Graça Lisboa. The castle is seen to the left, overlooking the city below — a view that’s always been a favourite of artists.

Day 2 – Bairro Alto, Rossio & Praça do Comércio
This morning we discover the Bairro Alto district on foot, with our guide, walking through this ancient quarter, enjoying the sights down to Rossio & the famous Praça do Comércio.
Bairro Alto is one of Lisbon’s most picturesque, bohemian, and alternative neighbourhoods. It was designed in the 15th century to host merchants and sailors from overseas expansion. Eternally associated as the city’s bohemian haunt of artists, its grid of streets is quiet during the day but transformed at night into one of the city’s most vibrant nightlife quarters.
Rossio is the center for culture and local meetings. It’s home to fabulous architecture from its famous train station, with its impressive 19th-century façade or Café Nicola, an art deco café founded in 1787.
Praça do Comércio is Lisbon’s largest square. Located near the Tagus River it’s also known as “Terreiro do Paço” due to the Royal Ribeira Palace former location, destroyed during the 1755 earthquake. Historically the plaza and the port were the main entrance of wealth in the city, serving both the east and west sides of the city.
From here, we’ll catch the famous 28 tram, on a private tram tour around Lisbon!

Comercio Square, Lisbon Steeped in history and culture. Praça do Comércio, Commerce Square in English, is Lisbon’s main square. It was built on the site where the old Royal Palace used to exist before.

Day 3 – Castelo S. Jorge, Mouraria & Alfama
Our walk descends one of the 7 hills of Lisbon from S. Jorge’s Castle through the Mouraria and Alfama neighbourhoods, the oldest in the city, past the Cathedral, and then on to downtown.
São Jorge Castle is one of Lisbon’s most emblematic landmarks. Dated from the medieval period, it stands out in a commanding position in one of the seven hills of Lisbon, the highest one in the city.
Between the castle and the old neighbourhoods, we find the National Pantheon or church of Santa Engrácia –a grand Baroque building housing the tombs of the country’s most distinguished figures. Built in the 16th century as the church of Santa Engrácia by Princess Dona Maria, daughter of King Manuel I, the church never fulfilled its purpose.
Alfama is the oldest quarter in Lisbon. Hardly affected by the 1755 earthquake due to its solid rock foundations, it was home for the Visigoths, the Romans, and the Moors that left the cobbled streets, the small squares, and the whitewashed houses as their unmistakable heritage. Being part of history where most of the Fado songs were written and sung, it’s today an old cosmopolitan neighbourhood.

Tram in Lisboa. The Lisbon trams are one of the best ways to move around Lisbon, as well as being one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.

Day 4 – Sintra
Today, we take the train to Sintra. The line between Lisbon and Sintra opened in 1887 and nowadays, this suburban train crosses the outskirts of Lisbon to this enchanting town. Sintra is all about scenic splendour, a realm of romance where majestic fairytale-like palaces, a grandiose castle, regal estates, and charming red-tiled houses stand amidst a landscape of luxuriant, semi-tropical forests and hilltops.

Lisboa Typical tram and Cathedral. This wooden tram will transport you to another era. Its horn rings constantly to warn absent-minded pedestrians to move out of the way when it runs past the city’s long and narrow streets.

Day 5 – Coimbra

Today, as we transfer from Lisbon to Porto, we’ll have the chance to visit Coimbra. We’ll meander through its narrow streets and enjoy the local life and traditions. Later on, we’ll have the opportunity to have a guided visit of the town’s Ex – LIBRIS, the University
of Coimbra.

Street in Alfama, Walking Holidays in Lisboa. Alfama is a delightful maze of narrow cobbled streets and ancient houses, which lead up the steep hill from the Tejo Estuary.

Day 6 – Discover Porto & Gaia, River Cruise & Port wine Tasting
Today we’ll dedicate our day to Porto. Our stroll will bring us from the top of the Ponte Luis I – where we get some of the most beautiful views in town – to S Bento Station, to view the beautifully tiled panels.
We’ll have time to enjoy some superb buildings, like the Carmo Church, the Clérigos Tower – and its singular architectural style of Nicolau Nasoni, the frontage of Lello bookshop – a 200-year-old bookshop, famous to have served as an inspiration to J. K.
Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books and, the cathedral of Porto.
The Ribeira do Porto area on the beautiful Douro river margins will welcome us for lunch.
In the afternoon, there will be free time to explore this truly amazing town.
The Douro River is one of the major rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, with its 897kms.
Born on the hills of Urbino in Spain, it stretches from eastern Spanish hills to Porto’s estuary in the west. Along its margins, its importance is still visible. In the past, the renowned Port wine was taken downriver in flat-bottom boats called rebels, to be stored
in barrels in cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto. Nowadays, this area of the Douro Valley is a UNESCO as World Heritage Site.
On our boat trip, we’ll be gifted with a different perspective of the river and its two different but similar margins.
In the afternoon, we’ll learn more about the trade, the production, and the different kinds of this famous wine in a unique Port lodge guided visit and wine tasting experience!

Art deco facade Porto

Day 7 – Stock Exchange Palace & S. Francis Church

Rabelo boats in Douro River. The relief and the Douro River create a unique look of Porto, which is so memorable to tourists. The river in Porto has a different appearance.

Today we explore some of Porto’s iconic sites: the Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa) and the S. Francis Church (Igreja de S. Francisco).
On our guided visit of Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace), we’ll learn how this part of the former St. Francis Convent was converted into a Neoclassical Palace to house the Commercial Association on Porto in the 19th century. Classified as a National Monument since 1982, this fabulous building provides a fabulous architecture discovery experience!
In the afternoon and to continue in greatness, we’ll visit the S. Francis Church (Igreja de S. Francisco). The origins of the Franciscan Order in Porto date from the 13th century. The building of this impressive worship site crossed centuries, kings, and architectural styles. In our guided visit, we’ll be able to understand and admire this impressive building dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi.

Palacio Cristal Porto. Crystal Palace Gardens is a green rest place in Porto. The garden was designed by the German landscaper Emil David.

Day 8 – Departure

We say our goodbyes and head to Porto airport.