Seven Days Private Tour in Portugal, the perfect itinerary, for those who wanna visit the North and center of Portugal in a comfortable, flexible but profissional way, having degustations of local products, And all this without having to change many times of hotel, because in this itinerary the nights will be in Lisbon or in Oporto, visiting some cities in the trips between these two cities.

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Transfer from the airport

1ºDay – Lisbon

Our first day will be dedicated to Lisbon, starting the day with the visit to the area where in 1998, Lisbon received the Expo 98 world fair inspired by the glory of the Portuguese maritime expansion, our days Nations Park, with its bold architecture but functional, the great work of the Spanish architect Mr. Calatrava.

A real success thus far eastern part of the city thus gained a new district with a population mainly of the upper middle class, and according to the data provided by the municipality, it is also the youngest and with more studies population in Portugal.

Let us now discover the oldest part of Lisbon, Alfama, through its alleys and tiny streets, this ancient Arab Medina, after the Christian reconquest in the 12th century the Arab civilization that were living here were transferred to another hill and then was born the “Bairro da Mouraria”

Discover Alfama is immersed in Portuguese authenticity, Fado the most typical and charismatic Portuguese music type, was born in this neighborhood, this strange melancholy felling to which Portuguese called “saudade”.

Following, we will arrive at the Saint George Castle, another of the few physical remains of the Arab civilization in Portugal, not far we have the the Lisbon Cathedral built in the 12th century, in a Romanesque architecture, time to visit Saint Anthony’s Church the place where the this Portuguese holy matchmaker was born.

Time now to “climb” another Lisbon hill and know these two neighborhoods so different and at the same time so similar, the Bairro Alto neighborhood, known for its crossroads of streets that over the weekend fill with thousands of young people, come to enjoy of what is known as the most bohemian Lisbon neighborhood, next to it we have the Chiado neighborhood where culture and art live hand in hand, or if it is not here that the great majority of theaters in Lisbon are concentrated, as in the oldest bookstores of the modern world.

Lisbon Downtown, the quarter of Lisbon that was most devastated with the great earthquake of 1755 that devastated most of the city, time to understand the importance of the Pombaline architecture used to rebuilt the city in a completely different way, a wider area with many streets and squares, this already predicting a new earthquake, using anti-seismic architecture of the 18th century, Mr. Marques de Pombal, was the statesman responsible for the Lisbon reconstruction, as well as all the economic and social changes after the earthquake.

Crossing the Liberty Avenue we will reach the Marques de Pombal square where we will stop next to Eduardo VII Park and try to understand the relationship and treaties between Portugal and England and the importance of this relationship in the future of Brazil and appreciate its fantastic view.

After lunch, our tour continues to Belem, an authentic open book about the period of Portuguese maritime expansion, the site where the old shipyards and ports of Lisbon here, brave Portuguese explorers in the 15th century discovering the sea routes to India, Africa and Brazil, celebrating this glorious past, financed by the vast wealth that flowed to Portugal from the colonies.

Here we are going to visit these three important Monuments; the Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery and the Discovers Monument, the last stop will be in the famous Belem pastry factory, to taste this fabulous conventual sweet that attracts millions of people every year.

Overnight in Lisbon

On our third day, we will leave Lisbon towards Evora with a visit to a traditional cork factory where we will understand all the cork process, check the tree (cork tree), its extraction, the quality choice, and the preparation to the final product.

Do you knew that the Cork Oak’s bark grows every year and that from nine to nine years it has to be removed from the tree, reaching 25 centimeters thick, cork its the perfect material resistant to heat, cold and fire.

Portugal is responsible for 55% of the world’s cork production, which is now highly valued in decorative coatings for walls and floors, or even in the manufacture of sports goods, the ideal material for baseball grains or fishing rods. However in many countries cork is best known for being the raw material for wine stops, since it allows micro-portions of oxygen to stay in contact with wine, so that wine can “age” while maintaining its quality.

This day its posiblle to make a  visit to a winery in the Alentejo region, land of good wines,  where in addition to the visit to the Cellar and personalized explanation of all wine processo, from the grapes at the bottling line, then tasting of different wines; white, rose and red wines.

Alentejo its a region that produces unique wines, hot and dry climate, it is indispensable to use drip system in the vineyard, with soils and reliefs a very sunny area that allows a perfect maturation of the grapes.

Now its time to enjoy Evora, explore this beautiful medieval village that make fall in love thousands of people every year, being the Bones Chapel that attracts more attention, this sinister chapel with its walls and pillars lined with human bones and skulls from more than 5,000 monks. Do not be alarmed if at the entrance you read; “We bones here are waiting for you,” leading us to reflect on life.

Another monument of great value is the Temple of Diana or Evora Temple, which justifies the importance that Romans gave to this beautiful city, close to the Cathedral, built in the Roman period, from here we can visualize the magnificent aqueduct, outside the city walls and extending from the it´s outskirts, some of its arches are still visible inside the city, built in the XVI th century to ensure water transportation.

Not only did Romans live here, the Arabs built their streets and alleys in the 11th and 12th centuries, Evora was even home of some Portuguese kings, a point of convergence of renowned artists, supported by the ruling patronage and Portuguese dynasty.

Overnight in Lisbon

The Fourth day of our Seven Days Private Tour in Portugal, we leave Lisbon towards Fatima, considered by many one of the most important Marian Shrines in the world, where we will pay homage to Lady Mary, in the Cova da Iria through the visit to the two Basilicas there; Our Lady of the White Rosary, Holy Trinity and the Chapel of the Apparitions.

The Chapel of the Apparitions as the first Chapel to be built shortly after the apparitions, located in the center of the Sanctuary is a place not to be missed, not for grandeur, but for the meaning, it is mandatory to visit it.

At one end the Basilica of Our Lady of the White Rosary, built in 1928 with a neo-baroque architecture, here you will find the tombs of the three little shepherd children (Francis and Jacinta), and now also the tomb of Sister Lucia, in the other end the imposing Basilica of the Holy Trinity, built in 2007 with more than 8,000 seats and 40,000 m² of area designed by the Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis.

In Coimbra we will visit to Biblioteca Joanina at the Coimbra University, the construction of it began in the year 1717, over the old prison of the Royal Palace, and was completed in 1728. The Joanine Library is recognized as one of the most original and spectacular European baroque libraries. The master of works was Joao Carvalho Ferreira.

Its decoration was only realized some years later, already on the eve of the Pombaline Reformation: the frescoes of the ceilings and cimalhas were executed by António Simões Ribeiro, painter, and Vicente Nunes, gilder. The celebrated portrait of King D. João V is attributed to the Italian Domenico Dupra and the painting and gilding of the shelves was carried out by Manuel da Silva.

Optional we can discover one of the Portuguese most emblematic Portuguese dishes, “Leitao da Bairrada” (suckling piglet). A piglet ( around forty days ) and that has only been fed with milk, the animal, completely eviscerated, gets into hot water and all the bristles are removed, until the skin is absolutely white and inserted in the oven (remember that the Portuguese oven is made of wood) for two hours, you have to remove it (scare it) every half hour, with a cloth and returning it to the oven. This operation will cause the skin to harden and become crispy, which is the true secret of this stew.

The Coimbra downtown or Historic Center  is the denomination given to the central zone of the city, this designation was developed with the separation of the “High”, where lived the nobility, the clergy and later the students, and the “Baixa”, dominated by commerce, crafts and neighborhoods.

Today, both are privileged places of the city, where services (banking, insurance, commerce), centuries of history, housing, culture, green spaces and leisure are mixed. It is here that you can find a part of the civic center of the city, the big shopping streets (such as Rua Ferreira Borges), the traditional Municipal Market D.Pedro V, Coimbra train station and important monuments such as the Santa Cruz Monastery.

 Overnight in Oporto

Fifth day of our itinerary is dedicated to Porto (Oporto), with a panoramic visit to the Boavista neighborhood where the daring architecture of “Casa da Musica” does not go unnoticed, built in 2005 a building of angular construction, disconcerting and daring, not consensual for the most “classic” of Oporto citizens.

We will continue towards the center of the city, making a visit the Cordoaria Garden, the Victoria District (last Jewish quarter), the Clerigos Tower that its watching us from the top of its 76 meters, and more than 200 steps with a fantastic view over the city and the river, its 49 bells that form a big chime that can frighten you when they start playing, but it will be worth visiting.

The fantastic Lello Bookstore (considered by CNN to be the most beautiful in the world) where JK Rowling who was married to a Portuguese and lived in the city, get inspiration to write Harry Potter nobel, being its staircase the main attraction, people from all over the world come to visit the bookstore searching for books, and also to understand the universe that inspired the creator of the history of the world’s best known magician, very close to Carmo Church and Carmelites and the Paris Galleries where the city comes alive every night.

The Oporto center being the renowned Avenida dos Aliados, city´s focal point, where everything happens, from the festivities to the strikes, at one end the beautiful Oporto City Hall and the other end the “Praça da Liberdade”, where a statue of a Pedro IV Brazil emperor of Brazil Portuguese king great defender of the liberalism movement, shows his gratitude to this city.

Visit the Sao Bento train station, where the 20 thousand tiles of the Portuguese artist Jorge Colaco will take us on a journey through Portuguese History and the Douro and Minho traditions, a true open book that awaits us to show us the true experiences of this beautiful city.

Oporto Cathedral where we find vestiges of its first Romanesque architecture style, a fortress church with two towers and the fantastic rosacea on the main facade.
Going down the Merchants street (oldest in Oporto), towards the riverside area we will visit the San Francisco Church built in the 12th century in a Romanesque architecture later transformed into Gothic and later Baroque, three naves full of golden carvings, in which is estimated to have been used over 300 kilos of gold, the Jesse Tree is another of it´s great attractions, a polychrome wood sculpture considered one of the best in the world.

In the Bolsa Palace, built in the 19th century in a neoclassical style and classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the “Patio das Naçoes” or the Arab Hall is the main attraction, with decorative stucco with marquetry floors and inlaid coats and heraldic representations and lovely sculptures.

Crossing D. Luiz I Bridge, we will arrive at Gaia, where a boat trip of approximately 50 minutes can be a great option, a different way of seeing Oporto.
Now the most awaited visit, the visit to a Port Wine cellar, where the famous port wine is being aged, so that it can be taken and tasted all over the world.

Then the best Oporto view through the Serra do Pilar Monastery, World Heritage by the Unesco, its construction started t in 1538, with an unusual shape, circular plant, a replica of the church of Santa Maria Redonda in Rome, 100 steps will take you to the dome, which surrounds the church.

 Overnight in Oporto

√ Douro Valley – Leaving our hotel in Oporto our first stop will be Amarante, where we can pray to a well-known matchmaker saint, Sao Gonçalo de Amarante.

In Amarante historical center, will witness several examples of Romanesque architecture and middle age buildings, along the Saint Goncalo bridge you can enjoy some of the most touristic points of the city such as the Saint Goncalo Church and Convent, the Amadeu de Souza-Cardoso Museum as well as the XVIII century bridge that joins the banks of the Tamega river, the largest tributary of the Douro river.

On the weekends everywhere we see vendors selling the Saint Gonçalo local sweets with a phallic appearance, causing curiosity and laughter, even the name of this “weird” local sweet makes people laugh… they are popularly called “quilhõezinhos de S. Gonçalo”. Theres a long tradition in Amarante that says that in saint Gonçalo celebrations (June), young people offer those sweets to the girls they want to conquer.

Now its time stop in Casal de Loivos viewpoint and admire a breathtaking view, between mountains and valleys designed by man in tune with nature considered by many the view in all the Douro Valley.

Next we visit the Peso da Regua and Pinhao train station where the 24 tile panels show us the old artisanal way of winemaking in this region World heritage Site by UNESCO since 2001, being the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, established in the 10th of September of 1756 by the Prime Minister of Portugal at the time, the Marquis de Pombal.

And now the reason that brought us to the Alto Douro Wine Region, a visit and degustation in a Quinta ( a winemaker ), where we will make you understand whole process, from cultivation, pruning, harvesting, to the long-awaited final product of, the wine, surely at the end all will have the same opinion, how difficult it is to produce wine in this beautiful region.

 Overnight in Oporto

√ Braga and Guimaraes – We start our day with a visit to Guimaraes, World Heritage Site since 2001, located in the sacred hill where a D. Afonso Henriques’ statue appears to be standing on guard (first Portuguese King).

And no better place to start than its Castle (Portugal foundation’s Castle), followed by São Miguel Church and Paço dos Duques de Braganca (Braganca house’s Palace). Right after we explore the old medieval streets that appear to have left tale of fantasy, ending where beautiful squares reign, like Sao Tiago, Toural and Oliveira. Now it’s time to taste the delicious Santa Clara’s pastry (Pastel de Santa Clara).

Time to visit Braga, today a modern flourishing city, but where you can feel the ancient roman and medieval past, as we can observe the many influences of various civilizations on its walls and façades and its predominantly Baroque interior, the main entrance and entrance side streets make the locals use the cathedral to make their way through their busy routines and give the Catedral an unusual, almost familiar charm that shows the grandeur of this space.

The biggest attractions of the city, such as the Episcopal Palace with its gardens, the Largo and the Church of the Cross, and finally the Republic Square where you can feel the pulse of this vibrant city.

We will visit its 12th Century Cathedral, where the cross used for the first mass in Brazil is kept, admire its magnificent tube organs, visit the upper choir and the mortuary chapels of some bracarensese archbishops where we will find the tombs of the fathers of the first Portuguese king (D. Afonso Henriques).

Now we drive uphill to visit the “jewel of the crown”, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus , the marvel of the baroque period. Starting by climbing (or not) the 581 steps and to let ourselves get spiritually involved by its chapels that tell us the story of the Via Sacra (Stations of the Cross) and relax in its green gardens.

Built in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with various architectural styles between the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical, with several chapels of the Via Sacra and the Church, a monumental staircase punctuated by statues and symbolic sources, this model had wide repercussions in Portugal and Brazil.

This Sanctuary of Bom Jesus served as inspiration for numerous constructions around the world, Bom Jesus de Congonhas, in Brazil, the Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies, in Lamego, among others.

Ever imagined being driven by a water-powered elevator using water counterweights, the oldest in the world without ever having known an accident, with a cabin deposit that is at the top of the route is attested of water to, through the difference of weight, make the other cabin go up the slope, the water being emptied when it reaches the foot. Simple and effective a water tank that fills the upper plane and empties in the lower plane.

The amount of water to be placed is determined by the passengers, at the time of departure, the driver of the lower cabin informs the superior by a sound signal the number of passengers in that cabin and it fills the tank with an amount of water according to these information.
The weight of the water, together with the weight of the passengers, causes this cabin to descend and from the opposite side to the cabin with new passengers.

 Overnight in Oporto

On our seventh day we came back to Lisbon, but on the way we will visit other cities such as; Aveiro, the Portuguese “Venice” with its multiple canals and its famous Moliceiro boats initialed used for transportation of salt and “moliça”( sea algae used by pharmaceutical companies and as a natural fertilizer ).

Walking on there historical cable stone streets is definitely a must, with several Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings all cataloged, which demonstrates the richness of this small town that has even one of the legacies of Gustave Eifel, the Aveiro market.Aveiro is the home of the traditional sweets, the “soft eggs”, famous all over Portugal, we will suggest to try it, such as a Moliceiro boat ride (optional).

Then we will visit to the “Salinas” (salt pans) and understand that old salt industry, continues to be as important today as it was since Roman times. Since the 16th century mainly used in the codfish industry. (The Portuguese method to preserve codfish since we reached the cold waters of the North American continent in 1500).

We will arrive at the Nazare fishing village (the most charismatic fishing village in Portugal), where we can see the fish to be dried on the sun in every beach, as well as te can see the famous ladies of the seven skirts, the  fishermen wife’s who proudly continue to wear seven skirts simultaneously, characteristic of this region.

Our days Nazare is known all over the world  for its giant waves, the biggest waves in the world are here in Nazare, Portugal, all thanks to the phenomenon of the Nazare Canyon, phenomenal waves that made Nazare famous, in 2013 the American surfer McNamara broke the world record when surfing a wave of about 30 meters height, during the period of the year we can see them with our own eyes.

In Obidos, (Unesco World Heritage), were we will relive a trip back in time to the medieval period and explore the beautiful narrow whitewashed streets that Obidos have to offer us.

Obidos belonged to the defensive pentagon of the Five Castles, this by the hands of the Templars, later used as a wedding gift by the Portuguese King Dinis I,  to his wife Queen Isabel, the village became part of the House of the Queens, most of the Portuguese queens in Portugal was financed here receiving Obidos taxes and leaving great benefits there too Quenn Catarina order the construction of the important aqueduct and its sources to be built.

Overnight in Lisbon

Reviews Tripadvisor

  Experiência fantástica, o guia Carlos Rodrigues, foi extremamente simpático, atencioso, conhecedor dos locais, explicações claras e dicas certeiras. Superou nossas expectativas. Foram momentos inesquecíveis e inenarráveis. Indico os serviços... read more oferecidos pela empresa e atenção do back office através do Sr. Hugo.

ER_SCSul
16 de July, 2022

  Fizemos dois tours maravilhosos. Em especial destaque , nosso guia Bruno, que foi muito atencioso ,prestativo e com um ótimo conhecimento histórico que nos proporcionou aprendizado com... read more " aulas de história" junto aos passeios. Sem dúvida, super recomendo , pois se voltar, com certeza terei ele como guia.

33dirceb
21 de October, 2022