Northern Portugal Discovery

This morning you will be picked up at a centrally located hotel in Lisbon. From Lisbon, the tour will head to Obidos surrounded by medieval walls, windmills, and fruit trees to see the unique architecture and crafts and taste the famous bitter cherry liquor. The next stop is Alcobaca with the first and largest gothic church in Portugal and the burial site of Ines de Castro. To see a traditional fishing village and seaside resort, a stop is made in Nazare. Heading to Fatima for the night a stop is made in Batalha at the famous monastery and tomb of Henry the Navigator. You will have the opportunity to attend the candle-lit procession in Fatima. Overnight in Fatima. Accommodation at the Hotel Sainte-Marie, Fatima, or similar

After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Coimbra to see one of the oldest universities in the world with its magnificent baroque library. You will see St. Clara Church where lies, Queen St. Isabel. In the afternoon you will enjoy Aveiro, known as Portugal’s Venice because of its many canals and graceful boats. The tour continues to Porto. Overnight in Porto. Meals: B. Accommodation at the Hotel Vila Galé, Porto, or similar

After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will lead you to a riverside living amphitheater with old houses, palaces, and churches. We continue to Minho, the northwest region of Portugal that offers natural green sceneries and sparkling “green wine”. Stop at Guimaraes – the cradle of the nation, the birthplace of the first king of Portugal, where, walking along the historic center, for moments one is plunged back into medieval times. Visit the Sacred Hill, crowned by the Castle, as well as the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, with an original building that dates back to the 15th century. Then drive to Braga known as the “Portuguese Rome” for its concentration of religious architecture, as the oldest Cathedral of the country, and the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary with famous baroque stairways and gardens. After continuing to Barcelos, a historical city rich in popular handicraft where the Galo de Barcelos (the rooster of Barcelos) legend was born making the rooster a Portuguese icon. Return to Porto overnight. Meals: B. Accommodation at the Hotel Vila Galé, Porto, or similar