Itinerary

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PORTUGAL

The food, the wine, the culture, the history...

Oporto to Lisbon

October 19th~28th 2012

Oct 19^th (Friday) – OPORTO

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Arrival at Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city and home of the world- known Port wine.

Classified as World Heritage by Unesco in 1996, it is a very rich city in monuments

and culture, a living amphitheatre with old houses, palaces and churches with the

Douro River lying on its feet.

Panoramic tour of the city and lunch by the riverside before being transferred to a

deluxe 5star hotel located at Vila Nova de Gaia on the south bank of the Douro river

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Dinner & overnight in a Relais & Chateau property ,the Yateman Hotel

Oct 20^th (Saturday)

Drive to the Douro region - “WORLD HERITAGE SITE”, the birth of the Port wine

The Douro valley is spectacularly beautiful with the hills falling steeply down to the water´s edge becoming more and more sparsely populated and wild the further inland one travels.

This is port country and was, in fact, the world´s first demarcated wine region being established in 1756.

Visit & Lunch in a port wine estate - QUINTA DA PACHECA – the first property to bottle wine under its own label.

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Dinner in a nice restaurant by the riverside in Oporto

Overnight in the Yeatman Hotel

Oct 20^th(Sunday)

A day dedicated to the Minho Province and GUIMARAES, the first portuguese capital and also the symbol of Portuguese nationality

Today, the medieval part of town is considered World Heritage Site by Unesco and this year it is the European Capital of Culture.

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Dinner in one of the wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia

Overnight in the Yeatman Hotel

Oct 22^nd (Monday) – OPORTO/COIMBRA

Before leaving Oporto, an unforgettable cruise on the calm waters of the Douro river.

Then, departure south to the marvelous Bussaco Park where you can find centenary trees.

Enjoy this marvelous forest while you have lunch in the beautiful Bussaco Palace Hotel.

After lunch, proceed to Coimbra – the 3rd most important city of Portugal. Traversed by the River Mondego, Coimbra prides itself on a history that is lost in the mists of time. Coimbra has the oldest University in Europe.

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Dinner & Overnight in a Relais & Chateau property, Quinta Das Lagrimas.

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Oct 23^rd(Tuesday) - COIMBRA/LISBOA

Leaving Coimbra in direction to Lisbon with stop in Nazaré - attractive and picturesque town, closely linked to the blue Ocean. Narrow streets that are a festival of colour and movement, the boats with their pointed prows and the fishing activity.

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On to Obidos - medieval township authentic museum, carefully preserved, surrounded by high walls, winding streets and white houses with flowers at windows.

Dinner & overnight in a deluxe 5 star hotel in Lisbon, centrally located in town

Oct 24^th(Wednesday) - LISBOA

Full day to discover fascinating Lisbon, looking out from its seven hills over the wonderful view of the Tagus estuary and dominated by the old Moorish St. Georges castle.

Lisbon is a city of contrasts, with the narrow streets of the old districts and the modern quarters with nice and modern architecture

With centuries of history, being the most important period - the 15^th & 16^th centuries when the Portuguese Discoveries took place.

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To highlight our tour we will do a private tour in the old trams passing by the old quarters of the city.

Dinner in a nice restaurant housed in the old Convent of Bernardas. Overnight in Lisbon, in a deluxe 5star hotel.

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Oct 25^th(Thursday)

MAGIC SINTRA & COLARES REGION

Essentially romantic in character, this town was poetically described by Lord Byron as "this glorious Eden". It was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Sintra is not a large place to visit but really a must for its charm and visual links with the past.

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On this day, we propose a visit to a wine cellar where we will do a cooking lesson ending with lunch in the “Greenhouse” (building just facing the cellars)

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Dinner in a traditional Portuguese restaurant located in one of the old quarters of Lisbon, the Bairro Alto

Overnight in Lisbon, in a deluxe 5star hotel.

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Oct 26^th(Friday)

TOUR TO EVORA - the Capital of the Alentejo province, our south region between Lisbon and the Algarve. Evora it is known as the "City Museum" and it is considered as "World Heritage“.

Visit and lunch at HERDADE DO ESPORÃO - integrated in “World Wine Route”, with a privileged localization, and offering a dazzling view over an enormous dam, surrounded by 400 ha. of vineyards.

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Dinner in a nice restaurant with “Fado” music located in the heart of the typical quarter of Alfama

In 2011, Fado was classified as a Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

A shawl, a guitar, a voice and heartfelt emotion. These are the ingredients of Fado, the celebrated form of world music that captures what it is to be Portuguese.