The Wines of Portugal with Karla
TOUR DATES: MAY 30 - JUNE 9, 2022
WHY SHOULD YOU GO?
Travel through the Portuguese Wine Route and discover the most important and famous wine regions. Portugal is a culturally rich country with vibrant cities and villages steeped in history. Quaint towns stand proud on rugged cliff tops, gothic spires rise majestically and charming cobbled streets invite you to explore winding old towns. A visit to Portugal is bound to be one of lasting memories and extraordinary experiences.
TOUR DETAILS:
MAY 30
Transfer from Lisbon Airport
Train from Lisbon to Porto
Transfer from Porto Train Station
Nh Collection Porto Batalha (5 Nights)
Welcome Dinner
Located in Batalha Square the NH Collection Porto Batalha hotel in Porto is surrounded by history . Its historical core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1966. Just a five-minute walk to all exciting venues such as the famous Torre dos Clerigos Cais da Ribeira and shopping district where you can find the exciting Bolhao Market and the worldwide famous Majestic Cafe. Portugal s most visited museum the Serralves Foundation as well as Oporto s trendy beachline is also a five to ten minutes drive by taxi. On the south bank of the Douro River you can visit the worldwide famous Port Wine Cellars and taste the exquisite Port Wine with a glazing view of Oporto s Historical area.
MAY 31
Porto Walking Tour
Walk the narrow streets of Porto with a local friendly tour guide who will reveal all its secrets and hidden gems in a pleasant and fun stroll. Discover why this small city in the north of Portugal was, for many centuries, one of the most important cities in the world, and from here, the Portuguese ruled world’s navigation routes and trade.
JUNE 1
Porto Cooking Class
Porto Gourmet Class is a totally hands-on cuisine class, which includes appetizer, soup, main dish and dessert. You will be enchanted with the menu, dully accompanied by some of the best Portuguese wines. By learning new techniques and innovative presenting forms, surprise your family and friends with a Michelin star worthy meal!
JUNE 2
Vinho Verde with Ponte de Lima Tour
This tour answers to the requests to visit places still to be discovered (by massive tourism). It’s dedicated only to Vinho Verde (the Portuguese Albariño, but with more grape varieties), going deep into the region (all the way to the border with Galicia). Stop at the border town of Valença for a coffee-break and a nice stroll in the Valença do Minho Fortress/Citadel (like Obidos but less touristy and more relaxed). Then you’ll go to Quinta de Santiago where you’ll meet the family, visit to the estate and lunch with the family (commented wine tasting during lunch).
JUNE 3
Douro Special Wine Tour
Port Wine is produced 75 miles away from the city of Porto, in the oldest demarcated wine region in the world known as the Douro Valley. This is really a hidden place surrounded and protected by mountains that not only preserves nature and people’s authenticity but also creates a microclimate necessary to grow the best Port Wine grape varieties. You’ll have a short stop at the entrance of Douro Valley; then you’ll have a sightseeing tour (on the bus) along the Douro river towards Pinhão. You’ll have a stop for lunch at the vineyards of Quinta da Manoella - Wine & Soul. You’ll start this experience by having lunch at the estate (traditional picnic lunch will be served at a special terrace facing the vineyards (depending on weather conditions). This will be followed by a stroll through the vineyards, a visit to the estate and a wine tasting.
JUNE 4
Transfer to Porto Train Station
Train from Porto to Lisbon
Transfer from Lisbon Train Station
Avani Avenida Liberdade (5 Nights)
Lisbon Orientational Evening Tour
Meet with your expert local guide at your hotel to start your tour! First you’ll visit the Portas do Sol viewpoint. Then you’ll visit the next quarters Chiado, Baixa, Rosio e Alfama, right in the center of Lisbon, these are four of the most known and charming neighborhoods of Lisbon. Alfama is the oldest, with it’s small streets and houses once inhabited by sailors and fisherman. Kids play football in the streets, and old ladies hang their clothes drying in the balcony. In Baixa you can find a bit of everything, tile covered houses, wrought iron balconies, wide streets and a charming elevator, everything rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. And Chiado is most fashionable quarter of all, with it’s old shops, fine products, and charming cafés. There you can relax after the tour, and go for a drink with Fernando Pessoa. Visit, discover, find, explore and get to know all the secrets and curiosities of these picturesque neighborhoods! You’ll end this tour in a rooftop bar or wine bar where you’ll see the sunset.
JUNE 5
Sintra Wine Day Trip
Chosen in the fourteenth century as summer residence for the Portuguese kings, and in the nineteenth century as capital of romanticism, Sintra is a must stop. Lord Byron referred to Sintra as “My glorious Eden”. The peculiarity of the landscape, with weird trees that grow only there, and the perfect integration between man and nature convinced UNESCO to declare Sintra as ‘World heritage’. This is a small town between the mountains and the Ocean. It has a unique ambience that can be felt only there, and a fresh air that purifies the lungs. Here you’ll have time to visit the fairy-tale Pena Palace. After you’ll have a picnic at the gardens. Then you’ll go to Colares to visit a small winery where you’ll have a workshop for being oenologist during one day. Here you can participate in a blending activity to create your own wine. During the visit you’ll taste some tapas and wine tastings. During the way to Lisbon you’ll see to Cabo da Roca the western most point of Continental Europe and Cascais.
JUNE 6
Torres Vedras and Obidos Day Trip
This region is very unknown, but we can find a lot of familiar wines. There you’ll visit Adega Mae winery where you’ll also take a brunch with wine tastings. Want to hear a story that will melt your heart? Today, we’re headed to Obidos, a stunning whitewashed town dating back to immemorial times. In 1282, King Dennis gifted the medieval fortress to his bride Isabel on their wedding day. Today, this gem of a fortified town remains lovingly intact, with its narrow passageways and brightly colored bougainvillea spilling from the balconies above. Join me for a journey into history and hear the secrets hidden behind the ancient castle walls. After exploring this treasure of a town, we’ll travel deeper into the region, a land known for its fertile soil, sweet fruits and delicious wine. Here you’ll have time to bur some crafts and taste the famous ginja liqueur.
JUNE 7
Belem Tour
We’ll start the morning exploring the heart of the city, walking to Belém district, from where the Portuguese navigators left, looking for the “New World”. Here we’ll visit Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, both classified by the Unesco as World Heritage Site, and also the Monument to the Discoveries. Then you’ll have a taste of Pasteis de Belem and a cup of Porto Wine in a private table for your group.
JUNE 8
Evora City and visit to Quinta da Ervideira Day Trip
Farewell Dinner
Did you know that Portugal produces 60% of the cork in the world? Your chauffeur will pick you up at your Hotel to take you to Evora (Alentejo). Alentejo is a lesser known region in the south of Portugal. Rolling fields of gold and green, dotted with clusters of cork oaks and occasional whitewashed houses. Despite feeling like a small village, Évora is the main town in Alentejo. In the morning, we’ll walk through the compact historical center, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and discover its unique attractions. This town has it all, such as Ancient Roman ruins, a chapel made entirely of bones, a statue of a pregnant Virgin Mary, cobbled streets, tasty pastries. You’ll also visit the Bones Chapel is a small interior chapel located next to the entrance of the Church of St. Francis. The Chapel gets its name because the interior walls are covered and decorated with human skulls and bones. Finally you’ll visit to Quinta da Ervideira that’s a big project of a familiar winery. Here you’ll have a lunch style picnic done by the winery and you’ll taste all wine produced there (more than 10!)
JUNE 9
Transfer to Lisbon Airport
What's Included:
Accommodation (10 nights at 4 star Hotels carefully selected for their quality. 5 nights at Lisbon and 5 nights at Porto)
All Breakfast (at the Hotels)
9 Private Guided Tours (Vinho Verde, Cooking Class, Porto, Douro, Lisbon, Sintra, Torres Vedras, Belem and Evora)
High Speed Train Tickets, Seats in Business Class (Lisbon to Porto and Porto to Lisbon)
5 Private Transfers in bus
1 Welcome Dinner
1 Farewell Dinner
What Isn't Included:
Airfare
Entrances fees not mentioned
Meals or drinks not mentioned
Gratuities
PRICE: $ 5,335 USD per person
Single occupancy supplement is +$1,150
Price may change depending on Hotels Availability
Price based on a minimum of 10 people