Treasures of Portugal with the Azores

Passengers who purchase flights will depart 1 day before the tour starts and return on the same day as the tour ends.

For flight details, see Before You Depart.

This morning, we'll land in Porto, Portugal’s northern hub, and have a panoramic tour of Porto by bus, stopping for a wine tasting in a local cellar. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Today, we will start our guided tour on foot. Explore the well-preserved historical center, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk along beautiful Avenida dos Aliados, the impressive boulevard at Porto’s heart. See ornate, architecturally diverse buildings, including Porto Cathedral, one of the city’s oldest. Enjoy a 50-minute boat trip on the Douro River, navigating through the riverbanks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy. Consider taking our half-day excursion to Guimarães (see optional tours).

After breakfast, we’ll depart for Coimbra. Along the way, stop in Aveiro, located on the west coast, set on a lagoon and often called the “Venice of Portugal” for the colorful barcos moliceiros (boats traditionally used to harvest seaweed) traversing its canals. Experience the city’s urban heritage and culture while strolling its narrow, old quarter streets and admiring its pastel-hued homes. Continue on to Coimbra, an ancient city and the first capital of Portugal in the 12th century. Your evening is at leisure.

Following breakfast, tour the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Established in Lisbon in 1290, it moved finally to Coimbra in 1537, atop a hill overlooking the city. Visit the Royal Palace, where we’ll find the Great Hall of Acts (the school’s ceremonies are held here), the Private Examination Room (once the King of Portugal’s bedroom, it now hosts graduate exams), and the Arms Room (the former Academic Royal Guard’s weapons are on display). Step into St. Michael Chapel and the Baroque Library, both jaw-droppingly exquisite, from floor to ceiling. Next, you’ll have a Jewish tour through Coimbra and the former Jewish quarter, with emphasis to Santa Cruz Monastery, the HolyInquisition Courtyard and the New Cathedral, born by the will of the Jesuits. The balance of your day is at leisure. Perhaps, embark on our Half-Day Excursion to the Conimbriga Ruins (see optional tours).

Depart after breakfast this morning. Stop in Tomar, built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. Tomar is a city of great charm for its artistic and cultural wealth, whose greatest expression is in the Convent of Christ (visit of its interior), one of the chief works of the Portuguese Renaissance. Journey to Fátima, the famous Catholic site where three shepherd children reported visions of the Virgin Mary and the Miracle of the Sun occurred in 1917. Today, Fátima attracts millions of pilgrims annually, from all over the world. Later, arrive in Évora. Check-in and dinner at your hotel.

After breakfast, travel to the city’s highest point to visit the Cathedral of Évora and its Cloisters. The cathedral began construction in 1184 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Continue to the Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, part of the Royal Church of St. Francis. In this 16th-century chapel, be awed by the décor: meticulously arranged stacks of human bones, as well as entire bodies. Next, we’ll celebrate life’s pleasures by indulging in a wine tasting with snacks. The balance of your day is at leisure.

Depart for Lisbon this morning. Dive in to Belém, Lisbon’s riverside district. Reflect on the 16th-century Monastery of Jeronimos, a prime example of Manueline-style (Portuguese late Gothic) architecture. Check out iconic Belém Tower, where soldiers once watched the Tagus River for incoming invaders. Together, the monastery and tower are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pass the Monument to the Discoveries, honoring Portugal’s navigators who explored trade opportunities with the Orient and India. Visit of Ajuda National Palace, a former Royal residence that still lends its glamour to the ceremonies of the Presidency of the Republic. We end the day with a cooking lesson in a Lisbon restaurant where we'll have the chance to learn how to make the typical Portuguese “pastéis de bacalhau”. This degustation is served with a glass of Portuguese wine. The balance of your day is at leisure.

Today enjoy free time to discover intriguing Lisbon for yourself. You may also choose to take a Full Day Sintra Excursion (see optional tours). Tonight, we’ll delight in a farewell dinner with a Fado show of traditional folk music that is traceable back to the early 1800s and typically features mandolins, guitars and a melancholic tune.

Trek outside Lisbon to captivating Obidos, a medieval, walled town characterized by cobblestone streets lined with bookstores, whitewashed homes with splashes of blue and yellow paint and a well-preserved hilltop castle. This afternoon, return to Lisbon with an evening at leisure.

Escorted by your tour guide, transfer to Lisbon for your flight to Ponta Delgada. Upon arrival, we'll meet our new guide and will begin our tour of the Sete Cidades, a scenic area set against two turquoise lakes, in a Big Truck. Along the way, stop at the Pico do Carvão viewpoint to see the north and south coasts of the island, as well as the central zone, which showcases numerous volcanic cones. Continue to the Vista do Rei to admire the breathtaking landscape over a huge volcanic crater. We continue to the picturesque village of Sete Cidades, an authentic portrait of rural Micaelense. The tour continues along a dirt road known as a Cumeeira, which runs the top of the crater where Sete Cidades lakes are located. The last stop is in one of the pineapple plantations, so you can know the peculiar way this fruit is grown in the Azores. 

Start the day with a walking tour of Ponta Delgada to take in the sights, as well as gorgeous views of the bay. Admire Gothic and Baroque buildings and churches, including the São Pedro Church and Paços do Concelho “Town Hall”. You'll also see the Portas da Cidade “City Gates” Monument and browse the Graça Regional Market, where the locals shop for fresh food and produce. The tour continues towards Pico da Barrosa with a stop at the belvedere of the Lagoa do Fogo to contemplate a hymn to nature at its purest state, as well as the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Travel to the north and visit the city of Ribeira Grande, known for its baroque architecture, characteristic of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Lunch is in a local restaurant and the remainder of the day is at leisure.

This morning, depart towards Vila Franca do Campo, the former capital of the island of São Miguel, and home to one of the best-known sweets of the Azores accompanied by magnificent landscapes. The tour continues to Furnas Valley, with the option of a thermal bath in the morning in the botanical garden terra nostra with a swimming pool and natural jacuzzis. Visit the Caldeiras on the shore of the Furnas Lake. Lunch is served at a local restaurant, is the famous "Cozido das Caldeiras". Visit to the boilers and fumaroles in the center of the village. The tour continues to the Miradouro do Pico do Ferro, overlooking the largest and oldest Caldeira on the island. Continue with a visit to the Gorreana tea plantations, for years unique in Europe, with the possibility of tasting and buying tea. On the way back to Ponta Delgada, stop at the Santa Iria belvedere.

Enjoy the last morning of leisure in the Azores. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lisbon. Check into your hotel near the airport.

Head to the airport for your flight back to the U.S. Return home full of wonderful memories of Portugal.