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Lisbon, Porto & The Douro Valley
8 Days from £1,045per
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Save up to £45pp when booking on or before 31/10/2018.
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You are viewing the 2019 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
Discover the historic legacies of Portugal, from vibrant Lisbon, the palaces of Sintra, to Porto and the stunning scenery of the Douro Valley.
Fly from London to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon today. On arrival into this wonderful European capital, transfer to the VIP Executive Diplomatico Hotel where you enjoy dinner later on tonight.
Explore the historic heart of Lisbon on this morning's guided tour.
Resplendent, exquisite and unique, Lisbon is full of diverse architecture, superb food and fascinating history. From its time as a Roman settlement, to its destruction by one of the worst earthquakes in history, to its rebirth as a major European city of taste and elegance, it is a wonder to explore.
Begin at Rossio Square, Lisbon's grand central plaza and social hub. Casting a shadow across the wave mosaics of this beautiful plaza is the enormous plinth and statue of Dom Pedro IV and at the end of the square is the impressive National Theatre of Lisbon.
Continue through steep, narrow streets to Belem. This pretty area of Lisbon is well-known as the aristocratic quarter of the city; a fact made clear by the gentle fountains, extensive parkland and grand old buildings
Take the train to Sintra, nestled in the hills above Lisbon. Composed of charming pastel-coloured buildings and hidden deep in the pines and hills of Serra de Sintra, this town is a true delight to explore.
Beautiful Sintra was the summer residence of Portugal's royal family. As a result, the town is full of grandeur and sophistication, from the majestic palaces and Romantic architecture to the ruins of ancient Moorish castles.
Today is free for you in Lisbon and the surrounding area - perhaps take the train to nearby Cascais. Like Sintra, this small town was used by the royal families of Portugal as a holiday destination on the beautiful coastline around Lisbon.
Today you take the train to vibrant Porto. Once the edge of the known world, Porto bears one of Portugal's greatest legacies, as it was from here that daring explorers set off to discover the New World.
Set upon the outlet of the golden River Douro, this extraordinary city takes its architectural cues from all aspects of its history including art-deco flourishes, romantic seafront houses and 19th century palaces. Built upon a set of hills, the peaks of Porto, mean that upon ascending a street,you are granted superb views across the entire city.
Enjoy a guided tour here, then check in to Grande Hotel do Porto for three nights.
Enjoy an excursion by rail into the stunning Douro Valley. Lush, scenic hills and vineyards slope gently upwards from the tracks, each dotted with scattered farmhouses and sleepy villages. The Douro winds through this landscape, originating in Spain and flowing all the way across Portugal and out into the Atlantic Ocean through Porto.
Arrive into Régua, a town known for its spectacular scenery where you visit a vineyard for a wine and cheese tasting. The vineyards here, or quintas as they are known, produce some of the finest port wine across the world, with many of the most famous brands owning a number of quintas which are hidden away in the hills.
Your day is at leisure in Porto so perhaps continue your sightseeing with a visit to the city's historic heart, medieval Ribeira or 'Riverside'.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this central part of the city is the heartbeat of Porto, packed with market squares and multi-coloured buildings, bedecked with flower filled balconies lining the cobbled streets. Perhaps dip into one of the cafés or port wine bars along the route, for a pleasant time soaking up the local life in this bustling part of town.
On Day 8 we bid a fond farewell to Porto and Portugal as you transfer to Porto's airport for your flight back home. On arrival, your tour concludes
Please note that while every departure of this tour features the same excursions, they may not necessarily be in the order listed above.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We will write to you around 10 weeks before your departure date with the precise meeting times for your tour group.
Not Included
This tour may be suitable for reduced mobility passengers, please call for further information.
of travellers would recommend this tour
Tour Rating
based on 11 verified reviews
The two cities were historically most interesting. Lisbon with its castle, mosaics, and wonderful places to eat out, and Porto with the riverside charm and of course the port!
I enjoyed the trip but it was too hectic and not quite sociable enough.
New to this type of holiday, it went very well with stays at very good hotels. The tour manager(NIEL) made the holiday even better.
It was well organised and guided. Interesting places to visit. Enough time to do own thing. Hotels reasonable - although poor location and food in Lisbon hotel
Very well organised and good value for money.
Comprehensive, informative tour, excellent guides, good free time with recommendations
A fantastic holiday experience from beginning to end. The scheduled airline TAP were great with very friendly and attentive staff plus there was food and drink as part of the onboard service, which rarely happens these days on short haul. Our tour manager was excellent: very friendly and supportive so nothing was too much trouble. The choice of hotels was superb, with very convenient locations, great service from friendly staff, lovely public areas and very comfortable rooms. The holiday itself was very relaxing, as it had the right balance between organised activities and free time. And of course rail travel is such a civilised way to get around!
Excellent holiday which was made by the services of an outstanding tour manager who ensured that our free time was filled with interesting options he arranged. The tour had an successful blend of tours and free time.
Everything about the holiday was excellent. The organisation and the itinerary and the Tour Manager
Wonderful guide so very helpful interesting and interested. Only one poor part was the food at the Diplomatics in Lisbon. Everything ran so smoothly. The Grande in Porto was excellent. Loved all the excursions. Would thoroughly recommend this trip.
Lisbon, Porto and the delectable Douro Valley
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