Duration: 11 Days
Thrilling natural wonders. Timeless traditions. Portugal is calling with a wealth of wonders to amaze and enchant. From Porto to Lisbon, your senses are filled with visions of natural wonder, wonderful wines, tempting tastes, and amazing artistry on this escorted tour of Portugal. Your holiday in Portugal continues with a flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada—to soak in some of Mother Nature’s finest work on the Atlantic Ocean. Take in the views of volcanic masterpieces from the top of Pico da Barrosa Mountain and visit Europe’s only tea plantation on the massive Maia farm. Visit Furnas’ geothermal wonders and marvel at the volcanic crater, cradling the luminous Sete Cidades Lake—one of Portugal’s Seven Natural Wonders.
Traveller Notes
- We’ve packed everything you need for the perfect holiday —from hand-selected hotels and dining to the friendly expertise of Globus Tour Directors and Local Guides (with headsets to hear every word), to seamless transportation between destinations and VIP access to the world’s most iconic sites! Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Return flight from Lisbon to Azores.
- Services of the Tour Director end on day 7. Island portion includes services of a local expert.
Welcome to Porto!
At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Panoramas & Port Wine
PORTO Follow your Local Guide for a walking tour in the city centre. Enjoy a glass of Porto. Later, relax on a river cruise and take in stunning views of the surroundings. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LOCAL TASTES You're invited to the home of the most internationally recognized Porto wines at the magnificent Sandeman Wine Cellars. Here, taste centuries of tradition in a glass of Port wine in the city that bears its name. Saude!
Street Art & Academic Honours
AGUEDA Take a stroll and admire the street art
COIMBRA Orientation walk of the University town. (B) 99mi/ 160km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEMS Agueda has embraced colour, fun, and street art in a fantastical and fancy-free way. Brightly coloured balloons, huge street murals, painted benches, pots filled with flowers of hot pink, red, and yellow lined all the different main streets of the town.
Culture & Bairrada Wine
COIMBRA Enjoy a wine tasting in the Bairrada region. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURE & TRADITION Since 1937, this unique place has produced its own sparkling wine, spirits, and Bairrada wines. You'll be dazzled by the beauty of the galleries excavated in the rock, in which the millions of aging bottles rest. The magnificent Baga room is devoted to tastings and banquets, while the museum offers 80 years of history exposed in the Bairrada room, along witha beautiful wine shop that complement your visit to one of the most emblematic spaces of Bairrada.
Panoramas & Port Wine
LISBON Guided sightseeing includes a photo stop at Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. (B) 146mi/ 235km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT The stunning capital city of Portugal is a treasure trove of historic and architectural masterpieces. Along the banks of the River Tagus see the 16th-century Belem Tower, which served as a fortress and an embarkation point for sailors, it was their last sight of land before the start of their journey. Lisbon's impressive sculpture, the Monument to the Discoveries pays homage to great Portuguese explorers with a spectacular carved prow of an ancient ship.
Portuguese Royalties
MAFRA [LF] guided visit of Mafra includes the Royal Palace, the convent and John V Library.
SINTRA Free time for lunch
CASCAIS Free time to browse
LISBON Farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)
LOCAL FAVOURITE
HISTORY & HERITAGE Learn about the colony of bats which have made their home behind the bookshelves of the library and that ensure its ancient books remain in pristine conditions. The bats leave their hiding spot at night to hunt insects that would otherwise damage the leather-bound spines and yellowed pages of the library's antique collection.
The European Hawaii
LISBON Fly to Ponta Delgada
PONTA DELGADA Orientation walk. Free time. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PURE & NATURAL Mother Nature has created a land full of natural beauty, ready to be explored, in the blue immensity of the Atlantic. Waterfalls tumble down basalt cliffs, rainforest-covered hills are topped by spectacular crater lakes and pale-green pastures are hedged by a kaleidoscope of hydrangeas. Dive into the rich cultural heritage as well with warm welcomes by local residents who graciously share stories of proud history and traditions.
Volcanic Craters & Cups of Tea
RIBEIRA GRANDE Stop at the top of Pico da Barrosa mountain and take in views of the volcano's crater and the ocean.
MAIA Visit the oldest and only tea plantation in Europe.
FURNAS See geothermal activity in the area. Free time for lunch. Visit the botanical gardens.
PONTA DEL GADA Dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EUROPE'S CUP OF TEA TEA Visit the oldest (and currently the only) tea plantation in Europe. Today the Tea Factory produces 40 tons of tea every year from 37 hectares of plantations with without the use of chemicals products. One lump or two?
Forbidden Fruit & Fruitful Landscapes
PONTA DELGADA Enjoy the morning at leisure before an afternoon drive to visit a pineapple plantation. Continue to Pico do Carvao viewpoint and take in the region's stunning beauty. Next drive to the bridge of Sete Cidades. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Sete Cidades Lake is located in a volcanic crater about 4 kilometres long by 2 kilometres wide with a depth of 30 metres. The lake is one of the seven Natural Wonders of Portugal and the largest natural freshwater reservoir in the Azores. The lake is actually two lagoons, called Green Lake (Lagoa Verde) and Blue Lake (Lagoa Azul), linked by a shallow channel. The differing hues of each lake are the natural result of varying reflected light, or it could be the legend of a blue-eyed shepherd and a green-eyed princess whose tears filled each lake with tears of forbidden love. You decide!
Leisure Time in Lisbon
PONTA DELGADA Fly to Lisbon.
LISBON Free time. (B)
ENHANCED
FREE TIME Time to pack your bags and depart the magical Island of San Miguel with a flight to Lisbon to relax and reminisce over your adventure in Portugal.
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
