Overview
This 8-day journey across Portugal blends grand cities, seaside villages and UNESCO treasures into one smooth, luxurious experience. You move from the charm of Lisbon to the dramatic cliffs of the Atlantic coast, then into the storybook beauty of Sintra, before heading north through medieval towns, wine country and the elegant riverfront of Porto. Along the way you enjoy historic monasteries, palaces, ocean panoramas and cultural gems that define Portugal’s identity. It is an itinerary crafted for travelers who want richness and variety without rushing, and who appreciate destinations that feel both timeless and alive.
Palace Tours elevates this experience with the kind of thoughtful planning and premium service that makes luxury travel feel effortless. Their hand-selected accommodations, private transfers, and expert local guides ensure every moment feels polished and personal. Instead of navigating logistics, you get to savor Portugal at its best, with a team that understands comfort, reliability and detail. For travelers seeking a refined, stress-free way to explore the country’s most iconic scenes, Palace Tours is the partner that makes the entire journey feel exceptional.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Arrive in Lisbon
- Welcome to Lisbon, the sunniest city of Europe, well known by the city of the 7 hills.
- Meet your local assistant. Transfer to your hotel.
- Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Lisbon - Visit the Famous Belem Tower & Local Pastries
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- This morning we visit the lovely bay-side town of Belém, world renowned for its historic walking areas, magnificent Church and Cloisters of the Jerónimos (entrance in supplement) and famous Belem Tower (exterior). Of course we can’t leave this area without tasting the FAMOUS “pastel de belém,” a wonderful custard tart pastry from the Belem Pastry (Take-away included).
- Lunch on your terms.
- In the afternoon, we will go to the typical neighborhood of Alfama, with its winding streets and flowered balconies. Climb to the Belvedere of Santa Luzia from where we have one of the most beautiful panoramas on Lisbon. Continuation of the visit with Rossio and the “Praça do Comercio”, downtown and business. Free time to walk and discover this bright city.
- Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Lisbon to Sintra - Visit Pena Palace
- Breakfast in the hotel.
- After breakfast our day begins with an exhilarating sightseeing tour of the “Sunny Coast“, the cosmopolitan Estoril and Cascais. The colourful Bay of Cascais is both a traditional fishing village and a lively resort with bars, nightclubs and restaurants. We continue on to the Cabo da Roca cliff, which is the most westerly point of continental Europe.
- Lunch on your terms.
- A scenic drive takes us to the medieval village of Sintra (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Lord Byron called Sintra “the most delightful village in Europe.” Enjoy a walking tour of the village. Here we visit the Pena Palace (entrance in supplement) the colourful palace of the top of the Hill of “Serra de Sintra”.
- Continuation to your hotel in the Center Region.
- Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Obidos to Alcobaca - Cistercian Abbeys
- Excursion to the fortified medieval town of ÓBIDOS with its typical narrow streets and ramparts that encircle the city. Tasting of the famous Ginjinha (cherry liqueur) (included).
- Continue to NAZARÉ, a picturesque fishing village, at the foot of a steep cliff. The most typical and colorful beach of Portugal will seduce you with its ancestral traditions where women dressed in black wear up to seven petticoats.
- Lunch on your terms (we recommend a fish dish).
- Leisure time to stroll along this beautiful beach. Climb to the “Sítio” to admire the landscape.
- Departure for ALCOBAÇA where is one of the most beautiful Cistercian abbeys of Portugal, which was one of the richest and most powerful of the country. You will discover the church of the monastery and the moving love story of Pedro and Ines (entrance in supplement).
- Back to the hotel. Dinner on your terms. Overnight.
Porto - Gothic church of Sao Francisco
- Today we have a full day to discover Portugal’s second largest city: PORTO. This is the city that originated and named Porto Wine and Portugal, famed for its riverside hills, medieval alleys, Parisian-style plazas, historic monuments, churches and enchanting atmosphere. We’ll tour the city and visit the impressive gothic church of Sao Francisco (entrance in supplement), as well as the Stock Exchange Palace (entrance in supplement) and its famous Arab Room which is used for personalities.
- Lunch on your terms.
- After we’ll walk along the historical center of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pass the beautiful cathedral (exterior) and visit the São Bento Station, well worthy of a visit with the huge entrance hall covered with some twenty thousand pictorial tiles. The work of Jorge Colaço, they feature historical and ethnographic images. In the end of your day visit a wine cellar and enjoy a Port wine tasting (in supplement). Back to your hotel. Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Porto to Viana do Castelo - Bom Jesus Sanctuary
- Today we’ll venture to the countryside in Portugal’s beautiful northern district to the town of Barcelos, known as the origin of the most famous symbol of Portugal, the colourful ceramic cockerel. Visit a local artisan. From here we’ll continue on to Braga, one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal and visit the Bom Jesus sanctuary (included) and the famous stairway, one of country’s best-know sites. Look forward to leisure time for sightseeing, shopping and lunch in this beautiful city.
- Lunch on your terms.
- Continue on to the charming town of Viana do Castelo with its beautiful setting on the north bank of the Lima River estuary. Known for its opulent mansions in the Manueline, Renaissance and Baroque styles and nearby beaches we’ll enjoy the afternoon in the pedestrians-only historic center before returning to Porto for an evening at leisure.
- Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Porto to Coimbra - Visit Portugal's oldest University
- Today we travel to the city of AVEIRO to capture the essence of this “picture-book” destination, with its colourful gondola-shaped boats, natural lagoons, elegant 19th century architecture and traditional cobblestone passageways. Known as “The Portuguese Venice” due to its system of canals and boats, the quality of life is very high in Aveiro. It is a special place where old meets new. Walking tour of the village. Enjoy a mini boat Tour on tradicional “Moliceiro” (entrance in supplement).
- Lunch on your terms.
- In the afternoon we travel to Coimbra, a charming university town, known as Portugal’s Oxford (the university library is one of the masterpieces of baroque art). We’ll have the opportunity to visit the main buildings of Portugal’s oldest university (subject to availability) and walk along the maze of narrow streets.
- Road to your hotel in center region. Dinner on your terms. Overnight in the hotel.
Center Region - Lisbon Airport
- Breakfast.
- Transfer to Lisbon airport.
Book This Tour
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Terms & Conditions
Palace Tours Terms and Conditions will apply to this tour.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Bed and breakfast from the 1st night to the breakfast of the 8th day in 4* hotels;
- Grand Tourism Bus according to the program;
- Tour guide according to the program;
- Braga Bom Jesus entrance
- Tastings according to the program
Not Included
- Travel insurances.
- Any other expenses not mentioned in "Included"
Payment Fees:
- 20% due at time of booking
- 80% due at 45 days prior to departure
Cancellation Fees:
- 10% of official price refundable up to 45 days prior to departure
- 25% of official price refundable up to 30 days prior to departure
- 100% of the total is payable within 30 days prior to departure
Note:
- Rates per person in Dollars
- Rates are subject to changes in availability
- Maximum of 2 children may share a room with their parents
- Suggested activities are not included in program price
- If selected hotel is not available at the time of booking, a hotel of a similar category will be found
Cancellations should be intimated by FAX to the corporate office in Miami, FL.
Guests need to add 3 business days to the above timeframes. An administration fee of 15% on any monies paid by the client will be charged prior to refund.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover the losses incurred in case of cancellation. For information on available plans or to purchase travel insurance, please visit www.palacetours.com/insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
Essentials of Portugal is an 8-day, 7-night journey. It begins with your arrival in Lisbon on day 1 and ends on day 8 with breakfast and a transfer to Lisbon airport.
The route runs Lisbon and Belem, the Estoril coast, Cascais, Cabo da Roca and Sintra, then Obidos, Nazare and Alcobaca, Porto, Barcelos, Braga and Viana do Castelo, and finally Aveiro and Coimbra before returning to Lisbon airport. It combines grand cities, seaside villages and several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Day 2 visits Belem, with the Jeronimos church and cloisters and the Belem Tower seen from outside, plus a take-away taste of the famous pastel de Belem custard tart. In the afternoon you explore the Alfama district, climb to the Santa Luzia viewpoint for one of Lisbon's finest panoramas and continue to Rossio.
Day 3 follows the Sunny Coast through Estoril and Cascais to Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point of continental Europe. A scenic drive then leads to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that Lord Byron praised, for a walking tour of the village and a visit to the colourful Pena Palace on its hilltop.
Day 4 starts in Obidos, a fortified medieval town with narrow streets and ramparts, where a local tasting is included. Next is Nazare, a picturesque fishing village at the foot of a steep cliff with free time on its beach, followed by Alcobaca, home to one of Portugal's most beautiful Cistercian abbeys.
Day 5 is a full day in Porto, Portugal's second city. The tour covers the Gothic church of Sao Francisco and the Stock Exchange Palace with its Arab Room, then a walk through the UNESCO-listed historic centre, past the cathedral and into the tiled Sao Bento Station.
On day 6 you visit Braga and the Bom Jesus sanctuary with its famous stairway, one of Portugal's best-known sights, and the entrance is included. The day also stops in Barcelos, home of Portugal's colourful ceramic rooster symbol, to meet a local artisan, and ends in Viana do Castelo on the Lima River estuary.
Aveiro, visited on day 7, is known as the Portuguese Venice because of its canals, lagoons and colourful gondola-shaped moliceiro boats, set against elegant 19th-century architecture. You take a walking tour of the town, and a short moliceiro boat ride is available as a supplement.
Coimbra, visited in the afternoon of day 7, is a charming university town often called Portugal's Oxford, home to the country's oldest university. Its university library is considered a masterpiece of baroque art. From the central region you return to Lisbon airport on day 8.
The price includes bed and breakfast in 4-star hotels from the first night to breakfast on day 8, travel by coach according to the programme, a tour guide according to the programme, the Bom Jesus entrance in Braga, and the tastings listed in the itinerary.
Several entrances are marked as a supplement and are not in the base price: the Jeronimos church and cloisters in Lisbon, Pena Palace in Sintra, the Sao Francisco church and Stock Exchange Palace in Porto, and the moliceiro boat ride in Aveiro. Suggested activities are also not included.
No. Breakfast is included daily at your hotel, while lunches and dinners are on your own terms. This gives you the freedom to try local restaurants, such as a fresh fish lunch in the fishing village of Nazare, which the itinerary specifically recommends.
Yes. Essentials of Portugal is a group tour travelling by coach with a tour guide, following a set daily programme. It suits travellers who want to see Portugal's highlights without driving or planning logistics, with a pace that allows time for independent lunches and strolls.
The tour is offered in Deluxe class, with bed and breakfast in 4-star hotels. If a selected hotel is not available at the time of booking, a hotel of a similar category is provided. A travel specialist will confirm the hotels for your departure.
A 25% deposit secures your booking, and the remaining balance is due 65 days before departure. Bookings made within 65 days of travel are normally paid in full at the time of booking. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect against cancellation losses.
Yes. A maximum of 2 children may share a room with their parents. Child rates use two bands based on age at departure: under 5, and from 5 to under 12, and from age 12 the adult rate applies. A specialist will confirm the rate for your family.
No fixed departure dates are currently listed on this page, so the tour is quoted on request. Fares are per person sharing and priced in EUR, and rates are subject to availability. Single occupancy is available on request with a supplement.
The tour starts and ends in Lisbon. On day 1 a local assistant meets you and transfers you to your hotel, and on day 8 you are transferred to Lisbon airport after breakfast. International flights to and from Lisbon are not included.
The tour includes several walking tours, such as the hilly Alfama district of Lisbon, the village of Sintra, the ramparts of Obidos, Porto's historic centre and Aveiro. The Bom Jesus sanctuary is famous for its long stairway. Comfortable shoes and a moderate level of fitness are recommended.
Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, answered by a travel specialist or our AI assistant. Any departure listed on this page can be booked directly online, and if none suits you, the team will quote your preferred dates.
Media Gallery
View of the old city skyline in Porto from the Douro River
Moliceiro boats along the central canal in Aviero
Panoramic sunset of Lisbon from Belvedere of Santa Luzia
Coastal city of Nazare
Pastel de Belém
Monument to the discoveries in Lisbon
Row of wooden porto wine barrels in wine cellar Porto, Portugal.
Wine with a view of the Douro river in Porto
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