Portugal

The tour starts at 6.00pm on Saturday 21 September, at the Bessahotel Liberdade, Lisbon.

The tour ends after breakfast on Sunday 6 October, at the Hotel Pestana Vintage, Porto.

Passengers arrive and check in at leisure. Our tour starts with a welcome drink in the hotel, followed by dinner in a popular restaurant nearby. Overnight Lisbon (D)

After an introductory talk in the hotel, we head up to the castle of São Jorge to enjoy outstanding views. From here we meander down through the Moorish bairro (borough) of Alfama, a maze of narrow streets, flower-laden iron balconies and small squares. After lunch, we visit one of Europe’s unsung treasure houses, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, a private art collection with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Dyke and Renoir. To complete a fabulous day, we enjoy dinner and a performance of fado, a distinctly Portuguese musical style, with a melancholy theme. Overnight Lisbon (B, D)

On this full-day trip, we first visit the 18th-century Palácio de Queluz, a former royal residence with beautiful gardens and exuberant architecture, followed by the Palácio Nacional de Sintra. Sintra is a unique combination of natural mountain beauty and fairytale palaces, and the National Palace is easily distinguished by its two large conical chimneys and architecture which combines Manueline, Gothic and Moorish styles. On our way back to the capital we visit the Convent of the Capuchos: a stark contrast to the palaces, this austere Franciscan Monastery seems to emerge from the surrounding woodland, with its tiny cells carved out of the rock. We journey back to Lisbon along the coast via the seaside town of Cascais. Overnight Lisbon (B)

Today we pay homage to the Golden Age of Discovery and explore the bairro of Belém. Our touring commences at Belém Tower, a 16th-century fortification which formed a vital part of Lisbon’s defences. We continue up the river to the Discovery Monument, celebrating the location where explorers departed to the Far East to open important trade routes. After a coffee break and a Portuguese tart, we move on to the Jerónimos Monastery with its superb Manueline cloisters. In the afternoon we make an excursion to the National Tile Museum to view its exquisite collection of azulejos. Overnight Lisbon (B)

Departing Lisbon, we travel south to the dramatic Setúbal peninsula. At Cabo Espichel we witness the ferocity of the Atlantic Ocean. In this magnificently isolated spot, one can view two different, well-preserved sets of dinosaur footprints, dating over 50 million years apart. We stop for lunch in Sesimbra, one of Portugal’s finest beach towns, where we suggest partaking of the seafood. Our drive continues to the World Heritage-listed city of Évora, capital of the Alentejo region. The Alentejo is famed for its wine as well as the cork oak forests and olive tree plantations which cover its rolling hills. Overnight Évora (B, D)

We take a walk around the historic centre of Évora, starting with the city’s iconic Roman Temple. Other highlights are the Igreja (church) de São João and attached convent, dating from the 15th century, built over the top of Évora’s Moorish castle. We also visit the Igreja de São Francisco, best known for its lugubrious Chapel of The Bones, where a Franciscan monk decorated the walls with skulls. After lunch we drive through the semi-arid Alentejo countryside to the surrounding hill towns, stopping in picturesque Monseraz, a fortified hilltop town which has been occupied since pre-history. In the early evening we meet for a talk in the hotel. Overnight Évora (B)

Our destination today is the unique site of Chromeleque dos Almendres, a megalithic stone circle pre-dating Stonehenge. The 95 standing stones, some engraved, are in a spectacular hillside location among olive and cork trees. The exact use of this site is unknown, but it has always been considered sacred. We continue to a local winery for a tour, tasting and lunch. The afternoon is free for sightseeing in Évora. Overnight Évora (B, L)

Heading north to the Templar city of Tomar, we stop for a boat ride across the River Tagus to the enigmatic Almourol castle, emblematic of the Christian Reconquest of the peninsula and now home to a Templar interpretation centre. After lunch we enjoy a tour of Tomar itself, including the Templar Convento de Cristo, a historical jewel. The oldest part is the 16-sided Templar church, or Charola which, like the castle, dates from the 12th century. This church was then converted to a Chancel under Manuel I in the 16th century, turning it into one of the finest works of the Portuguese Renaissance and giving it the World Heritage status, it enjoys today. Overnight Tomar (B, D)

We venture out of Tomar for the morning to visit the unique monastic establishment of Alcobaça. After the Reconquest, the Cistercian monks started a settlement here, going from wooden houses in 1178 to a stone monastery and church in 1252. It was one of the first truly Gothic buildings in Portugal, and the church at the time was the largest in the country. The afternoon is at leisure in Tomar. Overnight Tomar (B)

Leaving Tomar behind, we stop for a viewing of the 180 arches of the nearby Acueduto de los Pegões, designed by a distinguished architect in the 17th century to provide water to the Convento de Cristo. Our main highlight today is the outstanding Roman site of Conímbriga. This is Portugal’s largest and most impressive Roman site, dating from the 1st century CE. The ruins are extremely well preserved and feature villas paved with magnificent mosaic floors, plus baths and a forum. After an extended stop here, we continue our journey to Coimbra and enjoy free time before dinner in our hotel, the 18th-century palace, Quinta das Lágrimas. Overnight Coimbra (B, D)

In medieval times, the river-front city of Coimbra was the capital of Portugal. Declining in importance in the Late Middle Ages, the city remained a major cultural hub and still boasts the country’s finest university, one of the longest continuously operating in the world. Our walking tour covers the well-preserved medieval core of the city, including the pearl at its heart: the Juanina Library. We see the well preserved Sé Velha, the best example of a Romanesque cathedral in the country, and the Praça do Comércio, or Commercial Square. This evening we meet for a talk in the hotel. Overnight Coimbra (B)

Today we leave the centre of Portugal and head north to Pinhão with stops to punctuate our route. We take time for lunch in Viseu, where we can stroll the cobbled streets and enjoy a glass of one of Portugal’s Dão region red wines. Before arriving at our destination, we stop at São João de Tarouca to view the church and monastery. The first monastery to be erected by the Cistercian order on the Iberian Peninsula, it has recently been carefully restored. The three-nave church is lavishly decorated in gilt, with tiles from the 17th and 18th centuries. Overnight Pinhão (B, D)

Today we drive to Vila Nova de Foz Côa to visit the World Heritage-listed Côa Valley Archaeological Park. We are treated to a guided tour in 4WD vehicles to view the best of the 5000 or so examples of rock art and engravings, dating from the end of the Paleolithic era to 8000 BCE. This extraordinary site, in a rural and isolated spot, along with its outstanding museum, gives us an excellent window into the life of primitive man on the Iberian Peninsula. This evening we meet in the hotel for a talk prior to free time for dinner. Overnight Pinhão (B, L)

Leaving the roads behind, we pack our bags and embark on a full-day private cruise downstream along the Douro River to Porto, the City of Bridges. As we navigate the various dams and locks of this stretch of river, which once transported port grapes to the coast, we enjoy lunch and a port aperitif, along with views of steep terraced vineyards dotted with wine-producing farmhouses or quintas. Built with the wealth from the deal with British traders for port export in the 18th century, many have now transformed into luxury hotels. Disembarking in Porto, we settle into our final hotel. Overnight Porto (B, L)

We discover Porto’s historic centre on foot, climbing the narrow streets behind the hotel where buildings are adorned with colourful tiles and stopping at the famous cathedral cloisters. We tour the World Heritage-listed Palácio da Bolsa and the celebrated Arabian hall before finishing at the train station with its vast display of over 20,000 tiles representing battles and the history of Portugal. We save the afternoon for contemporary Porto with a look at modern architecture like the Casa da Música, designed by controversial Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. In the late afternoon we enjoy a port tasting before our farewell dinner. Overnight Porto (B, D)

The tour concludes after breakfast. It may be necessary to take a domestic flight to Lisbon before flying home. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are a comfortable 4-star standard or higher.

• Lisbon, Bessahotel Liberdade (4 nights)

• Evora, Albergaria do Calvário (3 nights)

• Tomar, Hotel dos Templários (2 nights)

• Coimbra, Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas (2 nights)

• Pinhão, Vintage House Hotel (2 nights)

• Porto, Hotel Pestana Vintage (2 nights)