Hidden Portugal

Discover a delightful corner of Portugal brimming with fascination, exuding the warmest of welcomes and home to famous port wines.

Porto

Porto Day One – Fly to Portugal Upon arrival in Porto, meet your tour manager at the airport and board the coach for the short transfer to your chosen hotel. Rest, relax and unwind, then enjoy a first evening in Portugal at leisure, perhaps making use of the hotel facilities. Day Two – Included Porto tour Our first included excursion, taken in the company of your tour manager, is a full-day visit to Portugal’s second city, Porto. The city that gave its name to the country is ancient, time weathered, and clings haphazardly to the hillsides above the beautiful River Douro. During the day there will also be a visit to one of the city’s many famous port wine lodges, the chance perhaps to enjoy lunch in a riverside restaurant and an optional boat trip on the Douro will also be available (payable locally). After a wonderful day, you’ll return to your hotel in Póvoa in time for dinner.

Day Three – Optional Douro River Valley

excursion Rest and relax in Póvoa and its surroundings, or join the first of the optional excursions, a guided introduction to the beautiful, wine-producing Douro Valley. Those who join the optional excursion will take in the romantic Amarante area and the wonderfully scenic Mesao Frio en route to the small port of Régua, the home of port-wine. There will be a visit to a working quinta, and the opportunity to stroll through the estate’s vineyards as the history of port-wine making is explained.

our product manager loves...

Often overlooked by visitors to Portugal, the region to the north of Porto has an incredible amount of attractions and sites, plus the iconic vineyards of the Douro Valley.

Available Apr to Oct 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Gatwick £925 • Luton £925 • Manchester £945 • Stansted £945

Personalise your holiday

• Douro Valley and Régua (full day) – from £62 • Barcelos & Braga (full day) – from £27 • Santiago de Compostela (full day) – from £45 Tour Only without flights from £690

On selected dates make your own arrangements to the airport or your hotel. Room for Sole Use from £175

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 30 minutes.

Viana do Castelo

Ponte de Lima Barcelos

Vila do Conde Porto Santiago de Compostela

Póvoa de Varzim

Régua

Spain

Portugal

Best Selling

ESCORTED TOUR These hugely popular tours, enjoyed by countless happy customers over the years, have truly stood the test of time.

• Explore the city’s splendid setting, with its narrow streets clustered above the River Douro • Pay a visit to a port wine lodge • Enjoy a wonderful journey along the scenic

Costa Verde • A leisurely walking tour of Póvoa • Explore the Vinho Verde vineyards • Discover historic Ponte de Lima’s ancient

Roman bridge • Explore the historic fishing towns of Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde • Guided visits to Viana do Castelo and Ponte de Lima in the northern Minho region • Seven nights’ carefully chosen three-star dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the Axir Ofir Beach Hotel, Esposende (upgrade hotel available for a supplement) • Return flights to Porto, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Lisbon Sardines na Brasa

Bom Jesus shrine Ponte de Lima Porto

Day Four – Optional walking tour of Póvoa

Spend another relaxed day in the hotel and its surroundings, with the chance to join your tour manager for a leisurely guided stroll along the seafront promenade and delightful Póvoa de Varzim. Take in the beautiful beach and the sweeping Atlantic views, and discover the tiny port, where the local fishermen land their catch in a traditional fashion. A selection of shops, bars, cafés and restaurants – most serving freshly caught seafood – as well as the well-known Monumental Casino ensure Póvoa’s reputation as a pleasant holiday resort.

Day Five – Optional Barcelos and Braga

excursion Today’s full-day optional tour first takes in Barcelos, home to Europe’s largest open-air market, which is a colourful, bustling hive of activity offering a huge range of locally produced goods. From here the tour will continue to Braga, former catholic capital of Portugal, with its great cathedral, and where the fabled Bom Jesus do Monte complex, which consists of a shrine and Neoclassical church standing at over 1,310 feet above sea level, affords marvellous views. Set in the heart of the verdant Minho region in Portugal’s northwest, ancient university seat Braga is one of the country’s oldest settlements and its spiritual capital.

Day Six – At leisure or optional Santiago de

Compostela excursion The last of the optional excursions journeys across the border, to fabled Santiago de Compostela, one of Spain’s most historic and beautiful cities. Marvellously preserved, the Romanesque cathedral lies at the city’s heart, perhaps the first-ever tourist destination for the thousands of pilgrims who, in medieval times, followed the route along the Camino to Santiago.

Day Seven – Included tour of the Minho region

The included tour today takes in the beautiful coastal region of the Minho region, which stretches for 60 scenic miles and includes the typical seaside town of Viana do Castelo, with its colourful buildings and seafront promenade, lined with restaurants and bars, situated on the estuary of the River Lima, and further inland the market town of Ponte de Lima. One of the highlights in Viana do Castelo is the ornate Basilica de Santa Lucia, which boasts sweeping views over the surrounding area from its domed top, and also has a museum. The tour continues through the Vinho Verde vineyards, and to the historic market town of Ponte de Lima, famous for its 18th-century fountain and ancient Roman bridge. Day Eight – Fly home to the UK Bid farewell to this delightful region of Portugal and your welcoming hosts, as you prepare for the transfer back to the airport and the return flight home, at the end of a hugely enjoyable stay in a beguiling corner of the continent.

your hotel choices

Axis Ofir Beach Hotel, Esposende Half-Board

HHHH from £925

Positioned on a beach facing the Atlantic Ocean, this sleek resort is enclosed by pine groves and offers a range of facilities. With contemporary designs, guestrooms feature private balconies and TVs. Axis Vermar Beach Hotel, Póvoa de Varzim Half-Board HHHH from £974

Located next to the beach in the centre of Póvoa de Varzim, and offers an indoor spa (payable locally) and outdoor pool, tennis courts, a comfortable bar and lounge areas, a reception and restaurant with glorious sea views. There is also a wellness centre. Air-conditioned rooms offer a hairdryer, a mini-bar and a satellite TV.

Axis Ofir Beach Hotel

travel tips...

Try the famous Porto sandwich, Francesinha, which is filled with layers of beef steak, cured meat, and fresh sausages, topped with cheese and covered with a beer sauce.

Axis Vermar Beach Hotel Porto Sandwich