Portugal from end to end

Meet at the Rainbow check-in desk 2 hours before departure. Flight to Portugal possible with a transfer in one of the European airports. Please check the current flight schedules at R.pl/rozklady.
On arrival, transfer to a hotel in the Lisbon area. Dinner and overnight stay in the evening. Customers arriving in Lisbon late in the evening will not have dinner that day

After breakfast, drive to Sintra – a town known as the Portuguese Arcadia, where the kings of Portugal rested in their impressive palaces. We visit the Palacio Nacional – located in the heart of Sintra, the National Palace is one of Portugal’s most famous buildings. Its characteristic chimneys can be seen on most postcards of Sintra, and the palace itself is home to many beautiful and valuable objects and decorations. In the past, it was the most popular royal residence in Portugal and was in constant use from the 15th century until the fall of the monarchy in 1910. In your free time, you will have the opportunity to stroll through the charming streets of the city and sample local specialties such as queijadas, cheesecakes. Drive to Cabo da Roca – the rocky cape – the westernmost point of continental Europe, and then take a panoramic drive along the coast to Cascais, one of Lisbon’s vacation resorts. Time for a moment of relaxation on the city beach or a stroll through the narrow streets of the city. We recommend you try the famous sardinhas grelhadas – grilled sardines – for which Cascais is famous. Transfer to dinner and overnight stay in a hotel near Lisbon. (Distance approx. 360 km). In the evening, for those who wish and pay extra, a Fado evening (approx. 55 EUR/person).

After breakfast, you will travel to Lisbon and explore the capital of Portugal. We will see the Baixa district and the intricate construction of the elevator of Saint Justine, the famous Rua Augusta promenade, the cathedral and the Castle of Saint George. The program also includes the Alfama district with one of the most beautiful viewpoints in Lisbon. During your free time, you will have the opportunity to sample Portuguese delicacies, such as the famous bacalhau (cod). The next item on the program is the Belem district: the Hieronymites Monastery (UNESCO), the Tower of Belem, the Wind Rose and the Monument to the Geographical Discoveries, which commemorates the famous Portuguese conquerors: Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan. The last point on the program is the Expo’98 exhibition area, where you can visit the wonderful Pavilhao dos Oceanos oceanarium, a complex of 5 huge aquariums exhibiting marine fauna and flora: from shoals of sardines to sharks, penguins and corals. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel near Lisbon. (Distance approx. 300 km).

Fold up

After breakfast, we drive to Obidos – the “City of Queens” with an impressive castle that is one of the seven wonders of Portugal. It is a charming town surrounded by medieval defensive walls, with winding alleys and whitewashed tenement houses, ceramic and souvenir stores, small restaurants serving the local cherry liqueur – ginja. The castle is currently home to the historic Hotel Pousada Castelo Óbidos with rooms named after kings and queens who once lived here. The next stop is Coimbra and a tour of this famous academic center on the Mondego River. In the afternoon we drive to Aveiro – a city that is often called the “Portuguese Venice” due to the lagoon and canals that give Aveiro its special character. Cruise the canals of Aveiro on colorful Moliceiros boats. Then transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay

After breakfast, drive to Viana do Castelo – a town whose winding alleyways and quiet squares will transport you back to the Middle Ages: Praca da Republica – the town’s main square with a 16th-century fountain, the house of the famous sailor Joao Velho, the Renaissance Misericordia tenement and other medieval municipal buildings. Panoramic view of the city and the mouth of the River Lima into the Atlantic from the hill of St. Lucia. Then continue to Bom Jesus do Monte – a sanctuary famous for its beautiful baroque staircase dedicated to the Five Senses and the Three Cardinal Virtues. Drive to Braga, also known as the Portuguese Rome. Stroll through the city: the oldest cathedral in Portugal, the Garden of Saint Barbara near the Bishop’s Palace and the city’s main square, Praca da Republica, where numerous restaurants invite you to sample the specialties of northern Portugal. The last point on the program is Guimaraes – a city considered to be the cradle of Portugal. The historic old town of Guimaraes has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: medieval tenement houses, the massive walls of the Castelo de Guimaraes, the Palace of the Counts of Braganca (the last dynasty to rule Portugal) and the city’s main square – Largo da Oliveira. Return to the hotel near Porto/Braga for dinner and overnight stay. (Distance approx. 220 km).

After breakfast, we will take a walk through Porto, during which we will see the following: Torre Dos Clerigos – the tallest tower in the city, Avenida Dos Aliados with the City Hall and the monument to King Pedro IV, Sao Bento train station decorated with paintings of azulejos. We end the walk in Cais da Ribeira – the busiest square in Porto, which is on the UNESCO list. Next up is a visit to a bodega, where we learn about the process of making port wine and have time for a tasting. Then a boat trip on the Douro, where we can admire the construction of six bridges connecting the banks of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia and the magnificent panorama of the city. Then we come to Alcobaça, where there is a Cistercian abbey, an example of the perfect form of Gothic Cistercian architecture. Worth seeing are the tombs of King Peter I and his tragically deceased lover Ines de Castro, the Hall of Kings, the kitchens and the cloisters. Dinner and overnight stay in a hotel near Fatima. (Distance approx. 220 km).

After breakfast, you will have free time in Fatima to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, where the altar depicts the scene of the apparition of the three children: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Attention! Hats, shorts etc. are not allowed in the basilica – modest clothing is required. If you wish, you can take an excursion to the town of Tomar, which is best known for the wonderfully preserved Convento de Cristo monastery complex, the Portuguese seat of the Knights Templar and the Order of Christ (UNESCO) (approx. 30 EUR/person and possibly an entrance ticket for approx. 6 EUR). In the afternoon you return to the south of Portugal. Overnight stay and dinner in a hotel in Lisbon. (Distance approx. 370 km).

Breakfast and check-out. Transfer to Lisbon airport. Flight to Poland possible with a transfer at one of the European airports. There is no breakfast on a morning flight to Poland.