Portugal Post Conference Tour

 

 

                                                                                 *** LIMITED AVAILABILITY ***    

                        We now only have 3 rooms available for the Lisbon conference week and the same for the post conference tour.   

                                       If you'd like to secure any of these rooms, please contact us ASAP so you don't miss out

                                           

 

                                                                                ITINERARY

                                                                                               12 - 18 MAY 2025

                                                                                   B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner

 

 

MONDAY  12      LISBON - ÓBIDOS - COIMBRA

Time to leave Lisbon behind & discover the rest of Portugal. We travel north & stop at the medieval village of Óbidos which is surrounded by the walls of its castle & is known and typical for its white lime houses. There's the opportunity to taste a "ginjinha" (cherry liqueur). After lunch, we continue to Coimbra, a city of Arts & one of the oldest university cities in Europe. Coimbra houses the oldest university of Portugal & we'll visit the main buildings - the Manueline style chapel with its 18th century organ, the senate room, the main room of the University & the Library, one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The rest of the afternoon & evening are free to explore the oldest part of Coimbra, made of narrow streets that lead to the top of the hill   (B)

  

 

TUESDAY 13     COIMBRA - AVEIRO - PORTO

We'll travel this morning to Aveiro, also known as “the Venice of Portugal” which is extensively crossed by canals throughout, giving the city an individual character. We'll drive by Costa Nova, an area that became a very popular beach in the mid-19th century & well-known because of its “palheiros”, (traditional houses) initially constructed to provide shelter for colonies of fishermen, machinery & animals. After lunch we continue onto Porto, Portugal’s 2nd biggest city   (B/L)

  

 

WEDNESDAY 14    PORTO 

This morning we'll do a guided tour of Porto. Built on the right bank of the Douro River, Porto offers the contrasts of a city that is both ancient & modern. After viewing sights by bus of the typical quarters with their Baroque churches, elegant metal bridges & wine cellars, you'll walk through the picturesque Ribeira district, the historic heart of Porto which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit the Stock Exchange Palace, a historical building built in the 19th century with a mix of architectural styles, the highlight is the famous Arabian Room. The afternoon is free to keep exploring Porto on your own  (B) 

  

 

THURSDAY 15      PORTO - ARRAIOLOS - ÉVORA

Today we travel south to the Alentejo region with a stop in Arraiolos, a small well-known village thanks to their “Tapetes” (rugs) handmade by local artisans. An Arraiolos tapestry is an embroidered wool rug made traditionally here since the Middle Ages & are partly inspired by Persian carpets. We'll visit the Interpretative Centre of Tapestries to learn about the manufacturing process of these famed carpets before continuing onto Évora, the capital of Alentejo   (B/D)

  

 

FRIDAY   16        ÉVORA - MONSARAZ - ÉVORA                           

You'll discover the charming historic town of Evora on a walking tour this morning, it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is still partially protected by walls & has many historical monuments of different periods in history. They'll be visits of the Temple of Diana, the Cathedral & the S. Francisco Church with its macabre Bones Chapel. There's free time for lunch & to wander the old town centre with it's narrow cobbled streets & white houses with yellow detail. In the afternoon, we travel towards the enchanting medieval village of Monsaraz, at the top of a hill facing Alqueva lake (the largest artificial lake in Europe). It's a small village of whitewashed & schist houses & buildings that have succeeded in preserving its own distinctive characteristics over the centuries, a true open-air museum. Return to Évora & the rest of the day & night are at leisure   (B)

  

 

SATURDAY  17    ÉVORA - ESTREMOZ - ELVAS - VILA VIÇOSA - ÉVORA


The full day tour starts with the 'white city' of Estremoz, known for its white marble, land of kings & queens & a vast heritage. It's an ancient gated city overlooked by a 13th-century castle which we'll visit. There'll also be a visit to the Church of the Congregates, one of the most beautiful town hall buildings in all of Portugal. Our next stop is Elvas, the frontier fortress of easternmost central Portugal close to the border with Spain & with the largest bulwarked fortification in the world, the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Highlights are its magnificent Amoreira Aqueduct, the Forte de Santa Luzia & the Forte da Graça. There'll be free time to walk along the narrow medina-like streets of the oldest part of the city for lunch, shopping & sightseeing. Our last stop of the day is Vila Viçosa, also known as the 'Princess of Alentejo' as despite its small size, it houses one of the largest national palaces. You'll visit the Ducal Palace, measuring 110 metres in length before we return to Évora for our farewell dinner    (B/D)

  

 


SUNDAY   18      ÉVORA - LISBON

After breakfast, we transfer to Lisbon airport via the Vasco de Gama bridge   (B)

                                                                    

 

 

If you'd like to join us on this tour, complete the Contact Us form below & once the information is ready for release, we'll send the details to you  

 

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