Upon your arrival in Porto you are met and transferred to your hotel. Afternoon at your leisure.
During this Half-day walking tour, you will be able to experience all the charm and history of Porto right after leaving your hotel.
Meet our tour guide and get ready to discover the historical center of Porto, declared World Heritage by UNESCO. We will start our day along the riverside quarter of Ribeira. A delight to visit, with its narrow streets, typical houses and picturesque lifestyle: it has been recently restored, now including some fashionable restaurants and bars.
Then walk through the Flores Street, with its traditional balconies and noble houses. After all, this was once one of the most important streets of the city! This walk will take us to the São Bento Railway station where you can admire the amazing glazed tile panels, representing some of the most important historical moments of the city.
Then, you will visit Taylor's, the most famous winery in Porto. With over three centuries of experience, Taylor's is one of the oldest Port Wine houses, fully dedicated to the production of this kind of wine. Recognized for his production of wood aged and collection of cask aged Port Wines. Taylor's created the pioneering type LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) in which they are the main producer.
In this unique experience, you will have the opportunity to have a guided tour through the cellars, enjoy and try some Port Wines, or eat in the famous Barão de Fladgate restaurant in a private room with a selection of wines.
Day trip to Douro Valley.
Since the Roman Occupation, two thousand years ago, the Douro Valley has been the chosen site for the production of some of the best wines in the world. The steep slopes of the river banks were slowly carved by the human hands bending Nature to the will of man. The thousands of hectares along the river, with terraced vineyards, sprinkled here and there by an old manor house or a little village are one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. With this wonderful scenario, we invite you to come onboard a luxurious yet ecological yacht and navigate along the Douro River, with all the tranquility necessary for you to enjoy the immense beauty of this magical place.
Today you will be met and transferred to Belmonte. (3 hour drive). You will spend the afternoon visiting the Jewish museum and the Synagogue. Located in one slope of Estrela mountain range (the highest in Mainland Portugal), Belmonte is one of the best places in the country to understand the secrets and mysteries of the Jewish communities that had to live in secret for centuries. This is the most active Jewish centre in Portugal and still preserves some of the old traditions that allowed Jews to practice their religion in secret for centuries. The village was also the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral, who discovered Brasil in 1500. The main monuments of the village includes the fortress itself (with vestiges from the former Palace of the Cabral family, where the navigator may have been born) and the small Romanesque-Gothic Church of Santiago, with the adjoined Cabral family Pantheon with the tombs of several family members of Pedro Álvares de Cabral.
Today you are met and transferred to Evora. 3 hour drive.
Stop on route at Castelo de Vide, a national monument, where you will feel the temptation to cross the harmonious historical district on the way to the castle wall. From there you’ll enjoy a wonderful panorama overlooking the old Jewish quarter, where we are still able to find many interesting architectural vestiges of the old medieval town.
Located on the top of the São Mamede Mountain, Castelo de Vide still preserves its old Castle, Jewry and one of the oldest and most important Synagogues of Portugal.
The balance of the day is at your leisure.
This morning you will have a 4 hour walking tour of Evora.
The winding walled city, and capital of the Alentejo region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and will enchant you with its medieval appearance. It will be difficult to stop walking around the very narrow streets of its historical center. Besides several other monuments to be visited (such as the Cathedral, Saint Francis church, and the ancient University), it is also in Évora that one of the most significant traces of the Roman occupation in Portuguese territory is located: The Roman Temple, from the 1st century and probably dedicated to the Emperor Augusto but famous under the name of Diana’s temple (name associated with the goddess of the hunters).
Take the chance to have lunch here, since Évora – like any other genuine city in Alentejo – is well known for its fantastic traditional gastronomy.
In the afternoon, you’ll have some free time to enjoy on your own.
Today you'll be met and transferred to your hotel in Lisbon.
Afternoon city tour
This half-day tour allows you to discover Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, colonized by many civilizations along the centuries: Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors and finally the Portuguese after 1147. We will visit St. George Castle, including its surrounding quarter and Alfama, Lisbon's oldest quarter. This city is linked with the heroic deeds of the Portuguese maritime exploration, in the 15th and 16th centuries. This was the Age of Discoveries and the Golden Era of Portugal, transforming Lisbon into the opulent centre of a vast empire. Part of the wealth from these expeditions was used to build magnificent monuments in a unique Portuguese style: the extravagant Manueline architectural style, best typified in Jerónimos Monastery (closed on Monday). Some of these monuments can still be seen, especially in the area of Belém.
But Lisbon has more than just monuments! We will also visit the traditional commerce zones of the city, with their 18th century buildings: the Downtown and the Chiado. In short, our tour includes all the best that Lisbon has to offer!
Today with your guide and driver you will visit three villages, Óbidos, Nazaré and Tomar.
Óbidos is a beautiful small medieval town, still surrounded by the old city walls. It is famous for its very well preserved atmosphere of a traditional Portuguese town, where the whitewashed houses are very carefully decorated with lovely colored flowerbeds. This village used to be a gift from our kings to their queens across the centuries! Walking in the town center and climbing up to the ramparts you’ll enjoy incredible views. Before leaving don’t forget to try the famous cherry liqueur in a chocolate cup, the Ginjinha!
Nazaré is a truly genuine fishermen’s town, where even nowadays many elderly local women hang around in their traditional costume: the famous skirt of Nazaré and its 6 petticoats. You shall go to Sítio (top of the cliff, leaning over the beach) and enjoy the most incredible panorama of the small town and coast. Don’t leave before finding out every detail about the local picturesque Legend.
In the city of Tomar, you’ll find one of the most important Synagogues in Portugal. Inside the building, the Jewish Museum Abraham Zacuto will allow you to understand the importance of the Jewish population in this city.
A very rare example of a medieval Jewish temple and of pre- Renaissance Portuguese art, the Tomar Synagogue is the only one of its kind from this period to have been fully preserved in Portugal. It was built in the mid-15th century specifically for religious purposes, evidence of the financial resources of the resident Jewish community and its power and prosperity. The simple, Eastern-influenced architecture of the building, is filled with symbolic references. The corbels represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel and the columns the four Matriarchs of Israel.
Today you will be met and transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Madeira.
Upon your arrival transfer to your hotel.
Day at your leisure.
Depending on time of year - Enjoy Madeira Flowers Festival
In Madeira, springtime is honoured like a queen, being crowned with the Flower Festival, held every year after Easter. In celebrating springtime and the exuberance of the flowers that typically bloom in that season, and here with even greater intensity due to Madeira’s subtropical climate, Funchal is the setting for a truly sumptuous spectacle, the city’s Flower Festival.
You'll be transferred to pier in time for the Ferry to Porto Santo.
Besides Madeira Island, the Madeira Archipelago includes the Island of Porto Santo, 37 km (23 miles) to the northeast of Madeira, The island is known for its large fine yellow sandy beach, stretching close to 9 km, running along the island’s entire southern coastline. Above all, it offers peace and quiet and a catching charm. A particular highlight is the island’s sea water temperature; which is quite warm all year round. Porto Santo’s climate is dry and stable, with little variation in warmth from season to season, therefore it is usual to go to the beach throughout the year.
Day at your leisure.
Day at your leisure.
Today you will be met and transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Lisbon.
Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.
Day at your leisure.
Tonight you will have a farewell dinner at O Faida de Fado.
“Founded in 1947, O Faia remains up to the present day as a reference in Lisbon nightlife: daily Fado evenings, in which big names have always been present - starting with the founder, Lucilia do Carmo, herself an important figure in the history of Fado, and her son, Carlos do Carmo (who managed the house until 1980), together with other preeminent artists. The balance between the cultural experience of a Fado evening and gastronomic culture that fits best with it, is a daily task at O Faia. Aromas and flavors reveal themselves in a creative and contemporary cuisine, where the tradition and the respect for the Portuguese cuisine is not forgotten. The talent and dedication of Chef Carlos Abreu and his team, create dishes from bases, marinades, seasonings and spices always present in the Portuguese Cuisine, that are combined with the excellence and freshness of the season products. In the wine cellar, where all the producing regions of the country are represented, and that includes the most important domestic producers and the varieties most representative of each region, you will find the perfect complement to match your meal.”
Transfer to the airport in time for your flight back to Canada or onward.
