Classic Portugal

Dates of arrival:

from 01.12.12 to 01.11.13
Race days: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

The price includes:

1. Accommodation in hotels 3* or 4* with breakfast
2. relocations and excursions on the program with a Russian-speaking guide
3. two meals a day according to the program (5 lunches with drinks - a great opportunity to try the national cuisine), including dinner with fado (national folklore). It is possible to refuse lunches, fado - to return 75 euros per person

4. transfers upon arrival in Portugal (all flights are met before 23:30-06:30; during the night transfers are individual: car 1-3 people - 45 euros for the service, minibus 3-8 people - 45 euros for the service). At the end of the program, a group transfer to the airport is provided after the tour ends. For tourists who have a free day, group transfers on schedule: 05:30, 11:00, 17:00

The price does not include:

1. International air travel
2. Visa - 70 euros
3. Extra night at a hotel in Lisbon
4. Hotels 3*: DBL – 30 euros, SGl – 60 euros, 3rd generation – 25 euros, 3rd reb. 2 to 12 years free
Hotels 4*: DBL – 40 euros, SGl – 70 euros, 3rd generation – 30 euros, 3rd reb. 2 to 12 years free
5. tickets to some museums, palaces, castles (about 45 euros for the whole program) – paid on the spot

You can get more information from our manager by calling: (812)438 38 41, 275 59 42, 948 38 41

Tour programme:
(Excursion schedule changes depending on the day of arrival)
Day 1:
Transfer and accommodation in the hotel of the selected category. Free time in Lisbon.
Excursion of Lisbon and Sintra - you can postpone the excursion to Sintra on Saturday (8 hours) and Lisbon - on Sunday (first half of the day) or the following Sunday. Dinner with Fado romances - can be postponed to Friday or Monday.

Day 2:
Obidos - Batalia - lunch at the national restaurant with drinks - Alcobasa - Tomar
After breakfast at the hotel you will go on a tour of the provincial cities of Portugal: Obidos, Batalia, Alcobasa, Tomar. It lasts 9 hours. Lunch will be offered at the national restaurant.
Awful.
This small picturesque town has another unofficial name – “city of brides”. In ancient times, Portuguese kings often came to Obidos to spend their honeymoon. The settlement is distinguished by cute houses with red roofs and cozy courtyards. The streets there are still narrow, and elegant churches like to visit not only locals. The ancient church of St. Mary deserved special fame. Once Obidush was captured by the Arabs, who surrounded the settlement with fortress walls. They're still there.
The city of Batalha is famous for the Monastery of Santa Maria da Victoria, a unique masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic architecture. In the finishing elements, the pretentious Manueline style and strict English Gothic are easily guessed. It was built by King Joan I when the Spanish were defeated.
The majestic medieval monastery in Alcobas is a classic example of early Gothic. Surprisingly, it looks elegant and simple at the same time. The guide will introduce you to the legend of the Portuguese “Romeo and Juliet”, the royal couple Ines de Castro and Pedro I. The famous library of the poet King Dinis deserves special attention.
In the town of Tomar, according to some sources, the Holy Grail is safely hidden. The fact is that for many centuries the monastery on the banks of the Naban River belonged to the sinister Order of the Templars. There are also other interesting sights in Tomar, such as the monument to Gualdin Pais and the church of San Juan Baptiste.
Return to Lisbon.

Day 3
Lisbon - Porto - Lunch at the national restaurant with drinks - Douro River cruise - Port wine tasting
After breakfast, you will be taken to Porto, Portugal’s northern capital. This city gave the name to the whole state, as well as the world famous port wine.
After lunch, a 4-hour sightseeing tour of the Port will be held for you at the national restaurant. You will walk along the colorful Prospect of Brazil, marvel at the picturesque banks of the Douro River, which connect many diverse and different bridges. Before you will be the historic center of Porto, which is able to impress the imagination of even the most sophisticated traveler.
In order to get to know the Porto as best as possible, you will take a cruise on the Douro River (on-site payment is 10 euros). This river flows through Spain and Portugal, and in Porto it flows into the ocean.
At the end of the tour you will be a guest of one of the famous wine cellars "vinyu do port", where you will try exquisite drinks and can buy a port wine you like at the tasting.
After the tour accommodation in the hotel.

Day 4
Braga - Bom Jesos - lunch at the national restaurant with drinks - Guimaraes
After breakfast at the hotel, you will take a full day tour of Braga and Guimaraes (8 hours). Lunch will be held at the national restaurant.
Near Porto is the town of Braga. Already in the era of the megalith in this area there were settlements of ancient people, as evidenced by irrefutable finds. During the heyday of the Roman Empire, Braga was at the intersection of five major roads, which contributed to its prosperity. For a long time this city was the capital of the Roman province of Galletia.
Today Braga is a center of theological research. It was awarded the title "City of Archbishops". Almost 4 dozen churches and palaces are the true wealth that the locals keep sacred. In the local diocese, you can observe a special church service, which is carried out according to the ancient Braga rite.
Next to Braga is the church of Bom Jesos do Monte. It is built on a mountain terrace, along which an old staircase is laid. Bom Jesos Church has long been a place of pilgrimage for Christians. Some pilgrims prefer to climb to the church on their knees, with difficulty overcoming the age-old steps.
Guimarães became the cradle of the Portuguese nation, because it was there that the future King of Portugal Alfonso Henriques I was born. To this day, there is a miniature Romanesque chapel of San Miguel, where the newborn Alfonso was baptized.
In the central part of the city well preserved quarter with medieval mansions. During the tour you will see the Church of St. Oliveira and St. Francisco XIV century.
Despite the fact that now the town is quite well developed industry, cultural and historical attractions are carefully maintained and open for access to tourists. In this cozy town, you can trace the architectural evolution, observe how buildings changed from era to era.
After the tour, return to the hotel in Porto.

Day 5
Porto - Coimbra - lunch at the national restaurant with drinks - Fatima - Lisbon
After breakfast at the hotel, you will travel to Lisbon via Coimbra and Fatima. Lunch will be offered at Coimbra’s national restaurant.
coimbra
This is an old university campus, thoroughly saturated with a kind of student atmosphere. The university, built in 1290, is located on a mountain, so it is perfectly visible from the embankment. The historical center of the city is an intricacy of narrow old streets, in which it is easy to get lost. However, the residents of the town are very friendly, with more than a third of them connected with the university. It should be noted that the University of Coimbra is the oldest university in Europe, and it operates to this day.
You will see the magnificent Cathedral of Se Vel in the Romanesque style and the Augustinian monastery of Santa Cruz, which has been preserved since the XII century. King Alfonso Henriquesa I and his son Sancho I rest there. If you get to Coimbra during the holiday, you will definitely meet many people in original cloaks with distinctive ribbons of faculties.
Fatima has been a famous religious center for almost a century. The events that took place in these places between 1915 and 1917, called by the Catholic Church a true miracle. You will hear the story of how shepherd children met the Virgin Mary, who introduced herself to them as the Angel of Peace and told about upcoming events. Every year, pilgrims from many countries come to Fatima to see the place where miracles happened.
Upon arrival in Lisbon check-in at the hotel.

Day 6
Evora (6 hours) - Drink-tasting lunch
Breakfast at the hotel. Evora (6 hours).
The historical center of the city of Evora is included by UNESCO in the list of the world heritage of mankind. This is one of the most ancient and unusually beautiful cities not only in Portugal, but in all of Europe. Evora is located in the province of Alentejo, just 130 km from Lisbon, from where you will be taken by comfortable transport.
In Évora concentrated a large number of unique architectural monuments of different eras. Of course, it is impossible to see them in detail in a few hours, but you will get vivid impressions, much stronger than when exploring the town in a photo of Portugal.
Evora's story is incredible in itself. The settlement was founded by the Lusitans in prehistoric times, who gave it its first name - Ebor. And in 80-72 BC it was captured by the commander Sertorius, then was the era of Caesar, in the V century the town was chosen by bishops, and at the beginning of the VIII century it was under the influence of the Moors until 1166. More than once the Portuguese royal court moved to the town, and in 1663-65 the Spaniards captured the strategically important territory.
After returning to Lisbon, you will be offered a tasting lunch at a Brazilian restaurant. You will have the opportunity to taste meat rhodizio - 7 varieties of meat cooked on a spit.
Free time in Lisbon.

Day 7
Breakfast at the hotel. Free time in Lisbon.
It is possible to order an additional excursion "Wine and gastronomic walk" - 70 euros per person. Includes: tasting lunch - fish rhodizio, visiting and tasting the wine cellar (the tour ends at 17:00).

Day 8
Lisbon - Sintra - Dinner with Fado Romances
Breakfast at the hotel.
Dinner with Fado romances is moved to Saturday or Monday.
Departure for a sightseeing tour of Lisbon. The Portuguese capital will appear before you in all its glory. Russian-speaking guide will tell you the history of the city, draw attention to the most significant sights of Lisbon. While walking, try to feel the unique spirit of the city, which is strikingly different from other European capitals.
The elements had a huge importance on the city, almost completely destroying it in a matter of minutes. The great earthquake of 1755 and the resulting tsunami spared no buildings. Many people died. However, the well-respected Marquis of Pombala tried to recreate the capital. After that, it became even more beautiful, turning from a rather cramped town into an elegant spacious city worthy of the proud title of the capital of the state.
You will see that Lisbon is a beautiful city. Famous masters worked on the creation of architectural masterpieces, who were able to convey the unsurpassed spirit of the state, which played an important role in the history of mankind during the Great Geographical Discoveries. You will see the magnificent Monastery of the Order of Jerónimos, which was founded by Henry the Navigator himself in 1450.
Modern Lisbon is an amazing mix, where monuments of bygone times and ultramodern structures coexist next to each other. Every past century has left a memory of itself. For example, no one leaves indifferent Belensky Tower, an exquisite architectural monument of the XVI century. According to experts, this is the object against which the largest number of photos in Portugal are taken.
Sightseeing tour of the amazingly beautiful town of Sintra.
During the tour you will visit the mysterious palace of Quinta de Regaleiro. The former owner of the estate of Kinta de Regaleiro was rumored to belong to the Order of Freemasons. On the territory of a luxurious park planted with strange plants, there is a palace darkened from time to time. According to rumors, mysterious rites of initiation into the order were held in the palace. On the tour you will have the opportunity to see many strange signs, walk through the divine garden, which is compared with Eden. You will admire the luxurious interiors of the palace, see mysterious grottoes, lakes and a frightening well. The estate still holds many secrets, so you may be lucky to discover something new.
After exploring the architectural masterpieces of Portugal, you will see a natural attraction – Cape Roca, which is the westernmost point of the European continent. From the top of the cliff blown by all winds, an incredible panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding area opens. Don’t forget to grab your camera to take unique photos. In a special store, you can purchase a "Certificate of Visiting the End of the Earth", which will be filled in your name.
Airport transfer.