Itinerary
- Day 1
Lisbon
You'll arrive in Lisbon and get transferred to your hotel to get settled. Later this evening, there's a welcome reception where you'll meet the other travelers on the trip.
- Day 2
Lisbon
Ride the iconic yellow tramcars through Lisbon's Old Town, then head to Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site from 1502 built to honor Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. Your group gathers for a special dinner this evening.
- Meals
- Dinner (Special dinner with fellow travellers)
Included Activities
- Ride iconic Lisbon tramcars
- Visit Jerónimos Monastery (World Heritage-listed)
Optional Activities
- Explore Lisbon's Old Town
Landmarks/POIs Jerónimos Monastery - Day 3
Sintra
Travel to Serra de Sintra to see King Ferdinand II's Park and the National Palace of Pena. After that, you'll have free time to walk around Sintra on your own and grab lunch before heading back to Lisbon along the coast. Your last night here, try dinner at a local restaurant.
Included Activities
- Visit King Ferdinand II's Park and National Palace of Pena
Optional Activities
- Explore Sintra during free time
- Dinner at a local Lisbon restaurant
Landmarks/POIs National Palace of Pena Serra de Sintra - Day 4
Coimbra - Porto
Drive through Portugal's countryside to Coimbra, where you'll board the MS Estrela river ship. Settle in and have a welcome dinner on board, then that evening take an illuminations cruise on the Douro to see Porto's sights from the water.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner on river ship)
Included Activities
- Visit Coimbra and its historic university
- Illuminations cruise around Porto
Landmarks/POIs University of Coimbra - Day 5
Porto
Pick how you want to spend your day in Porto. You could explore the 16th-century Old Town with a cable car and port wine tasting, attend a cooking demonstration, or do an active walking tour through medieval streets and Ribeira. Tonight there's a guided tour at Palácio da Bolsa with cocktails and a traditional fado performance.
- Meals
- Dinner (Cocktail reception and fado performance at Palácio da Bolsa)
Included Activities
- Palácio da Bolsa guided tour
- Cocktail reception at Palácio da Bolsa
- Traditional fado performance in the Arabian Hall
Optional Activities
- Porto Exploration - 16th-century Old Town tour with cable car ride and port wine tasting
- Cooking Demonstration - traditional restaurant culinary experience
- Active Walking Tour of Porto - medieval streets and Ribeira quarter exploration
Landmarks/POIs Palácio da Bolsa Porto Old Town Ribeira Quarter - Day 6
Douro Valley - Entre-os-Rios
The ship sails this morning through the Douro Valley to Entre-os-Rios. When you arrive, pick between exploring the medieval city of Guimarães with its well-preserved buildings, or visiting Quinta da Aveleda winery in the Vinho Verde region to tour the grounds and taste wines and cheeses.
Optional Activities
- Guimarães Tour - historic city with medieval architecture and UNESCO World Heritage site
- Winery Tour and Tasting - Quinta da Aveleda with gardens, wine and cheese sampling
Landmarks/POIs Guimarães Quinta da Aveleda - Day 7
Régua
Cruise at a relaxed pace to Régua and visit the Douro Museum to learn about the valley's wine culture and history. Afternoon brings a traditional lunch and wine tasting at Quinta da Pacheca estate, which has 75 hectares of vineyards overlooking the Douro River.
- Meals
- Lunch (Traditional lunch and wine tasting with views over the Douro River at Quinta da Pacheca)
Included Activities
- Visit Douro Museum
- Lunch at Quinta da Pacheca with wine tasting
Landmarks/POIs Douro Museum Quinta da Pacheca - Day 8
Pinhão
Choose your activity before the ship cruises to Pinhão. You can take a guided tour of Lamego in Alto Douro with a visit to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies and a Bola de Lamego tasting, or go to Palácio de Mateus near Vila Real, the 18th-century palace on Mateus Rosé wine labels.
Optional Activities
- Lamego Tour - Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies and Bola de Lamego tasting
- Palácio de Mateus - 18th-century palace near Vila Real
Landmarks/POIs Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies Palácio de Mateus - Day 9
Pinhão
Stop at Pinhão Railway Station, a beautiful 19th-century building with tiled walls showing port production scenes. Then visit a local quinta in the region. This evening, there's a captain's farewell dinner on board.
- Meals
- Dinner (Captain's farewell dinner)
Included Activities
- Visit Pinhão Railway Station
- Visit local quinta
Landmarks/POIs Pinhão Railway Station - Day 10
Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
Tour the historic town of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo and see the castle ruins. Return to the ship for dinner, and as you cruise toward Spain, this is your final night on board.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner on board ship)
Included Activities
- Tour Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
- Visit castle ruins
Landmarks/POIs Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Castle - Day 11
Salamanca - Madrid
You'll disembark and travel to the ancient Spanish city of Salamanca for a tour that includes the University of Salamanca and the House of Shells. Then continue to Madrid and check into your hotel. The evening is free for you to do what you like.
Included Activities
- Tour Salamanca
- Visit University of Salamanca
- Visit House of Shells (Salamanca)
Landmarks/POIs University of Salamanca House of Shells - Day 12
Madrid
Take a comprehensive tour of Madrid covering the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. This evening you'll have a farewell dinner with the group.
- Meals
- Dinner (Farewell dinner)
Included Activities
- Tour Madrid
- Visit Royal Palace
- Visit Plaza Mayor
Landmarks/POIs Royal Palace of Madrid Plaza Mayor - Day 13
Madrid
Your last day in Madrid, and you get to choose how to spend it. Options include a culinary food tour of traditional Spanish cuisine, an art tour of Museo del Prado with works by Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens and Bosch, or a visit to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid.
Optional Activities
- Madrid Food Tour - traditional Spanish cuisine and culinary spots
- Museo del Prado - art museum with Italian and Flemish masterpieces
- Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - tour of Real Madrid's stadium
Landmarks/POIs Museo del Prado Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - Day 14
Madrid
Say goodbye to Spain today as you're transferred from your hotel to the airport for your flight home.
