Charms of Lisbon & the Atlantic Coast

Arrival at Lisbon Airport and meet-and-greet with our representative. After a warm welcome, we board our private vehicle and transfer to the hotel. Once you have checked in and rested a little, we head out for an orientation walk through the centre: the Baixa district, Praça do Comércio and the Rossio area. It is your first encounter with Lisbon: yellow trams going up and down, tiled façades, historic cafés and the Tagus River marking the horizon. As evening falls, the city lights up, terraces fill with locals and the aromas of Portuguese cuisine invite you to enjoy your first dinner at your own pace.

After breakfast at the hotel we explore Baixa and Chiado, the beating heart of Lisbon, with their broad squares, elegant buildings and lively pedestrian streets. We then head to Belém, closely linked to the Age of Discoveries. There we see from the outside the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, two icons of the Manueline style, as well as the Monument to the Discoveries by the riverside. There will be time to taste, if you wish, the famous “pastéis de Belém”, one of Portugal’s most iconic pastries. We return to the city centre and the afternoon is at leisure: you can continue exploring on your own, go up to a viewpoint, stroll along the Tagus or join an optional evening activity such as a dinner with fado.

After breakfast we drive to Sintra, a town of palaces and gardens declared a World Heritage Site. Its green hills and colourful buildings give it a fairy-tale atmosphere. Depending on your chosen option, you may visit the interior of the National Palace of Sintra or the hilltop Pena Palace (optional entrance). After some free time in the historic centre we continue towards the coast. We pass by viewpoints over the Atlantic and reach Cascais, a former fishing village turned elegant seaside resort with a marina and small coves. Later we head to Estoril, known for its casino and seafront promenade. In the late afternoon we return to Lisbon. Evening at leisure to enjoy the city’s atmosphere.

After breakfast we leave Lisbon and head north. Our first stop is Óbidos, a charming medieval walled town of whitewashed houses and flower-filled streets. We walk along its cobbled lanes, surrounded by walls, craft shops and small cafés where you can taste the famous ginjinha served in a chocolate cup. We then continue to Fátima, one of the most important Marian sanctuaries in the world. We visit the large esplanade, the basilica and the areas reserved for prayer, where pilgrims from many countries arrive every day. There is free time to experience the spiritual atmosphere of the site at your own pace. In the late afternoon we return to Lisbon, where you have the evening free for a farewell dinner or a last stroll through the centre.

Breakfast at the hotel (depending on flight schedule) and free time. You can use these last hours for some shopping, one more tram ride, a museum visit or simply sitting in a café watching the city go by. At the agreed time, transfer to Lisbon Airport for your return flight home. End of our services, hoping that this first journey to Portugal will be the beginning of many more travel stories.