Grand Tour of Portugal NEW

Grand Tour of Portugal

Óbidos

Sintra National Palace

Lisbon

Évora Cathedral

Faro

Porto

From £1,089 8 Days

DEPARTS 7 SEP

DEPARTS 12 OCT Sintra National Palace

Portugal is Europe’s oldest nation and boasts not only a wonderful cultural heritage but also beautiful and unspoilt scenery. On this fascinating tour we travel south to north, through timeless and stunning landscapes, visiting historic cities bursting with charm including the capital of Lisbon and ancient Porto. There’s also plenty of opportunity to sample some of the excellent wines for which the country is known.

ITINERARY

Day 1

We fly to Faro and transfer to our overnight hotel where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2 Óbidos & Coimbra

Leaving Faro we travel northwards, stopping en-route in Óbidos. This picturesque medieval town boasts a well-preserved castle, narrow cobbled streets, traditional painted houses and pretty squares. Afterwards we continue to Coimbra with its ancient buildings that cling to the hillside. Coimbra is famous for its university, founded in the 13th century, whose ornate buildings are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later, we check in to our hotel in Coimbra where we stay overnight. Tonight we dine together in a local restaurant.

Day 3 Viseu & Peso da Régua

This morning we travel north, stopping en-route in the ancient city of Viseu, full of artistic treasures and historical churches. Granite buildings line the atmospheric streets that wind up to the magnificent cathedral square. Next stop is the small town of Peso da Régua where we visit a local quinta (vineyard) to taste some of the Douro wines. The Douro Valley is Portugal’s principal wine-growing region where beautiful vineyard terraces are etched into the steep hillsides bordering the River Douro. We then head west to Porto and check in to our hotel where we stay for two nights. Tonight we enjoy dinner together at the hotel.

Day 4 Porto

Straddling the banks of the River Douro, Porto is one of Portugal’s oldest cities with an atmospheric medieval quarter. We enjoy a guided tour where highlights include the 12th-century cathedral and the Dom Luis bridge. Porto is famous for its port wine and we visit a local wine cellar for a tasting of this fortified wine. The rest of the day is free to explore the city at leisure and choose a restaurant for dinner before we return to our hotel.

Day 5 Sintra National Palace

We leave Porto and head first to the UNESCO-listed city of Sintra where we visit Sintra National Palace, the most well-preserved medieval royal palace in Portugal. The minimalistic Gothic exterior contrasts with the elaborate and decorative state rooms within. We then make our way to Portugal’s capital of Lisbon and check in to our hotel in the city, our base for the next two nights. This evening we enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Day 6 Lisbon

We spend the day in Lisbon where we start with a guided tour. This wonderful waterfront city offers beautiful architecture, ancient ruins, cobbled alleyways, rumbling trams and plenty of attractions including the São Jorge Castle. We also visit the Maritime Museum in the Jerónimos Monastery for a fascinating insight into Portugal’s pioneering role in world exploration at sea. The rest of the day is free to explore at leisure and choose a restaurant for dinner. YOUR BREAK INCLUDES

y Return flights to Faro y Airport taxes and luggage allowance (one piece of checked-in hold luggage per person) y Airport transfers in Portugal y 7 nights at selected 3 and 4-star hotels in

Portugal with breakfast plus 2 dinners y 2 dinners in local restaurants including wine, water & coffee y Guided city tours of Porto & Lisbon y Visits to Óbidos, Viseu, Peso da Régua, Sintra

National Palace & Évora Cathedral y Vineyard visit and wine tasting in Peso da Régua y Port wine cellar visit and tasting in Porto y Escorted by a tour manager in Portugal

YOUR HOTELS  or 

We’ll stay in a selection of 3 and 4-star hotels in Portugal such as the Eva Senses Hotel in Faro, the Dona Ines Hotel in Coimbra, the Axis Hotel in Porto and the Mundial Hotel in Lisbon. All hotels have en-suite rooms, a bar and restaurant.

Hotel accessibility information

Please visit justgoholidays.com/accessibility or call our friendly reservations team for further details.

Day 7 Évora Cathedral

Today we head back to Faro, stopping in the city of Évora to visit its stunning cathedral. Built with rose granite between 1186 and 1250, Portugal’s largest medieval cathedral has had several additions over the centuries including the two great towers topped by conical spires. From here, we journey south to Faro where we check in to our overnight hotel and enjoy dinner together.

Day 8

We check out of our hotel and transfer to Faro airport for our return flight home.

AIRPORTS & PRICES

DEPARTS Wed 7 Sep | Wed 12 Oct

FLY DIRECT FROM THESE REGIONAL AIRPORTS, PRICES FROM 9 Bristol £1,119 9 Gatwick £1,099 9 Leeds Bradford £1,149 9 Liverpool £1,149 9 Luton £1,099 9 Manchester £1,099 9 Stansted £1,089