Authentic Portugal

DAY 1: ITALY - LISBON
Individual departure from Italy for Lisbon. Arrival and free transfer to the 4* Sana Metropolitan Hotel. At 19:30 dinner and meeting with the guide and other tour participants. Overnight stay.

DAY 2: LISBON
Breakfast, dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. Departure for a guided tour of the city with its wide avenues and squares, evidence of when it was the capital of one of the largest empires in the world (Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Goa/India, Macao/China, Timor...). We will visit the Belém district with the Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries, the Monastery of the Jerónimos (visit inside the cloister optional), a masterpiece of the 'Manueline' Gothic style. We continue our panoramic tour of the city, passing by the Parliament and the beautiful Eduardo VII Park. In
Afternoon tour of the historical centre: walk through the Alfama district, the oldest in the city, visit the 12th-century Cathedral and the Church of Saint Anthony, built on the birthplace of the Saint, the central Baixa Pombalina district and the Praça do Comercio with its splendid view of the majestic Tagus estuary.

DAY 3: LISBON - OBIDOS - ALCOBACA - NAZARE - BATALHA - FATIMA (195 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Óbidos, visit to the medieval village with its perfectly preserved walls and alleys (12th century), which can be considered an open-air museum. Continuation to Alcobaça, an important Cistercian monastery. Inside the church we will visit the spectacular tombs of the Portuguese Romeo and Juliet, King Pedro I and his lover Ines de Castro (named queen after his death). We continue to Nazaré, a typical fishing village with a splendid view of the Atlantic. Afterwards, stop at
Batalha to visit the magnificent 14th-century monastery, built with a perfect combination of Gothic and 'Manueline' art. Continuation to Fatima. Orientation visit to the Marian Sanctuary that attracts millions of pilgrims from all over the world and was built after the famous apparitions. Possibility to attend the torchlight procession
evening. Dinner and overnight stay at the 4* Hotel Cinquentenario.

DAY 4: FATIMA - PORTO - GUIMARAES (260 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Porto and guided tour of the city: the Ribeira district, declared a World Heritage Site, is distinguished by its colourful façades, the labyrinth of its alleyways and the square of the Infante Dom Henrique, two different representations of the spirit of the city. Optional entrance to the Church of San Francisco. Continuation to visit a winery of the world-famous wine of the same name. Departure for Guimarães. The city, cradle of Portuguese civilisation, was the first capital of the independent country in the 12th century. Here
visit the historic centre, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dinner and overnight stay at the 4* Hotel De Guimarães.

DAY 5: GUIMARAES - BRAGA - COIMBRA (200 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Braga. Visit to the sanctuary of BOM JESUS, with its spectacular Baroque staircase and the old cathedral in the historical centre, demonstrating the great historical importance of this episcopal diocese. We continue to Coimbra, which was the capital of the country for more than a hundred years during the Middle Ages. We visit the historical centre and the famous university, which still remains the most important in the country. Dinner and overnight stay at the 4* Aeminium by Melia hotel.

DAY 6: COIMBRA - TOMAR - CASTELO DE VIDE - MARVAO - EVORA (340 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Tomar, where we visit the Convent of Christ within the walls of the Templar Castle. It can be considered a museum of Portuguese architecture, due to the presence of all architectural styles from the 12th to the 17th century. Special attention is paid to the window of the Chapter House, considered the most beautiful decoration of Manueline art. Continue to Castelo de Vide, dominated by its Castle and with an important Jewish community and its typical neighbourhood. Continuation to Marvão, a spectacular village enclosed within the
its own walls, which was impregnable for centuries. A walk through its characteristic streets is a journey back in time. Continuation to Evora. Dinner and overnight stay at the 4* Evora hotel.

DAY 7: EVORA - SINTRA - CABO DA ROCA - LISBON (220 km)
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to Évora (a World Heritage Site), considered a museum city due to the numerous testimonies of its long history, including the Roman Temple, the Cathedral and Giraldo Square (witness to the executions of the Holy Inquisition), the narrow medieval streets and the Chapel of the Bones where it is difficult to remain indifferent. We will continue on to the town of Sintra, the favourite haunt of Portuguese monarchs with its important Palacio Nacional de Vila. Afterwards we will have the excellent opportunity to capture beautiful images
panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean from Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe. Arrival in Lisbon. Dinner and overnight stay at the 4* Sana Metropolitan Hotel.

DAY 8: LISBON - ITALY
Breakfast at the hotel. Free transfer to the airport in time for your flight back to Italy. End of services.
NB: The 6/4 departure includes the reverse itinerary

Reduction 3rd adult bed: € 40.
Reduction 3rd bed child 2/12 years: € 200
Compulsory supplement (to be paid in Italy): entrance package + entrance to a wine cellar in Porto + radio-guides € 96 adults, € 46 children 2/12 years old.
Optional supplement: organised airport/hotel/airport transfer (from min. 2 persons) € 60.

Prices include: - scheduled flight round trip in dedicated class - coach tour as per the programme from day 2 to day 7 with Italian-speaking guide/escort on site - 7 nights in the hotels indicated in the programme or of the same category in a double room - treatment as per the programme (7 breakfasts and 7 dinners in the hotel all with 1/3 litre of water included).

Rates do not include: - airport taxes (to be communicated at the time of booking) - transfers from/to the airport in Lisbon - entrance fees - any tourist taxes (to be paid directly at the hotel) - meals/drinks not indicated - tips - porterage - anything not mentioned in "the fees include".

Departures:

01/09-27/09
05/10-02/11
16/11