Picturesque Portugal

Picturesque Portugal

What’s Included:

• Just You Holiday Director as your host & Specialist Local Guide
• Return flights from London
• 7 nights in 3 & 4-star hotels
• A guaranteed twin or double room of your own
• 11 included meals: 7 breakfasts, 4 dinners including a welcome & farewell drink
• All highlights included
• Overseas transfers, other transportation & porterage

Holiday Highlights:

• Porto tour including River Douro cruise
• Visit Gaia’s famous port wine cellars for a tasting
• Douro Valley, including visits to Guimaraes, Mateus & Pinhao
• Tour the ‘Venice of Portugal’
• Visit the medieval towns of Coimbra & Óbidos
• Lisbon city tour
• Sample traditional pastéis de Belém (custard tarts) and rich port wine
• UNESCO-listed Sintra
• Cosmopolitan Cascais

Days 1-2: Vila Gale Porto

Located in Porto, close to the metro station, the hotel is only a 10 minute walk away from the famous Rua de Santa Catarina. Hotel facilities include restaurant and bar, as well as Health Club with a heated indoor pool, sauna and gym. Bedrooms have private facilities.

Day 3: Hotel Regua Douro

Located on the Douro, the hotel offers fantastic views over the river. Hotel facilities include a restaurant and a bar, as well as an outdoor pool. Bedrooms have private facilities.

Day 4: Hotel D.Luis

With stunning panoramic views of Coimbra, the 3-star Hotel D. Luis offers a quiet and comfortable atmosphere. Bedrooms include private facilities, air-conditioning, safe and a TV.

Days 5-7: Vila Gale Opera

Your hotel is located in front of the Tagus River and 10 minutes away from the historic city centre. The hotel was renovated in 2014 with modern décor inspired by opera. Many of its rooms offer spectacular views onto the Tagus River. Facilities include a restaurant, bar and Health club. Bedrooms have private facilities.

Day 1: UK - Porto

Today, you fly to Porto, after which, we will transfer you to your hotel. Get to know your fellow travellers over a welcome dinner this evening.

Meals included: D

Day 2: Porto

Porto, known for its production of port wine, is a lively city set on a great gorge of the River Douro. We’ll explore on today’s tour, taking in the Baroque Clérigos Church, whose soaring bell tower can be glimpsed throughout the city, before passing by the famous Lello Bookstore - one of the country’s oldest bookshops and amongst the best in the world. Perhaps join some of your fellow travellers for lunch before we visit the town’s old quarters, Ribeira, and the neo-classical Stock Exchange Palace. Enjoy a scenic cruise along the Douro – a chance to enjoy fantastic views of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, which line the banks of the river. Admire the six bridges that unite these two delightful towns before stepping ashore in Gaia, also famed for its production of port wine, which is made exclusively in the Douro Valley. What better way to end the day than with a visit to one of the town’s numerous port wine cellars for a tasting of this sweet red wine, before heading back to the hotel.

Meals included: B

Day 3: Porto - Douro Valley

With a UNESCO-listed historic centre, Guimarães is the proud birthplace of Afonso Henriques, Portugal's first independent king. We'll head here today where there will be the opportunity to discover castle ruins, charming narrow streets and the beautiful square of Largo da Oliveira. After time to explore and enjoy lunch, we'll head to Vila Real to discover the 18th century Mateus Palace. We'll also take in Pinhão's pretty train station, decorated with tiled panels depicting traditional scenes of the Douro region, before finally reaching our hotel in the Douro Valley.

Meals included: B

Day 4: Aveiro

Heading to Aveiro, known as the 'Venice of Portugal', and considered one of the most beautiful destinations in the country, famous for brightly patterned 'Moliceiro' boats & pastel toned Art Nouveau houses. Finally we reach Coimbra for an overnight stay.

Meals included: B,D

Day 5: Coimbra - Lisbon

Today we’ll explore Coimbra, the medieval capital of Portugal for over 100 years. Discover one of the oldest universities in Europe, with its New Cathedral – the current bishopric seat of the city. Next, we’ll visit Óbidos, surrounded by an old wall flanked by round towers and square bastions. The town was given by King Denis to his young wife, a gesture that was repeated by future monarchs until 1833. We’ll explore the town, which is also known for its unique cherry liqueur. Our final destination today is Lisbon.

Meals included: B,D

Day 6: Lisbon

The beautiful Alto do Parque Belvedere offers brilliant views over Lisbon, and we'll head here to gaze over the city this morning. Admire the bronze statue of the Marques of Pombal, who rebuilt Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake, and explore the historic Rossio Square. A walking tour of the historic centre will introduce us to the magnificent St George Castle, which watches over the city from a towering hill, and Lisbon Cathedral the city's oldest church and a National Monument. Next we'll explore the cobbled alleys and steep stairways of the ancient Alfama district, the Belem Tower, the imposing St Jerome Monastery and the Monument to the Discoveries. Along the way, we will sample a pasteis de Belem, a famous and deliciously sweet Portuguese egg custard tart.

Meals included: B

Day 7: Sintra & Cascais

Sintra is an enchanting town with a fascinating UNESCO-listed centre, and it’s the first stop on today’s tour. See the spectacular Sintra National Palace, which for an extra cost you can enter, or enjoy a spot of lunch before we begin our journey back to Lisbon. En route, we’ll stop at Cape Roca – the most westerly point of Continental Europe – and Cascais, an ancient fishing village which has been transformed into a cosmopolitan hotspot thanks to its gorgeous beaches, picturesque gardens and pedestrianised Old Town. Just before we reach Lisbon, we’ll take a panoramic tour of Estoril, once a summer retreat for royal families and now known for its sandy beaches and popular casino. This evening, we'll gather together for a farewell dinner, the perfect finalé to your Portuguese holiday.

Meals included: B,D

Day 8: Lisbon - UK

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meals included: B