Overview

Explore Central Portugal on our Porto to Lisbon Fly Drive holiday.

Stretching from the great northern city of Porto to the historic capital of Lisbon, Portugal’s central region is a captivating mix of sweeping hills, striking medieval architecture and white sand beaches.

Your holiday begins in Porto’s bustling riverfront Cais Ribeira district, by city’s most famous landmark: the Ponte Luiz I bridge. You’ll take a tour of the port houses of Gaia, with a chance to sample the three main styles of port wine: Ruby (the variation we typically see here in the UK), Tawny (aged longer for a more mellow flavour), and Branco (white port from white grapes, and served chilled).

You’ll also take a tour of the Douro Valley – bordered by the Marao and Monetmuro mountains, wine has been produced in the Alto Douro region for over 2,000 years. To the east, you’ll visit the old roman city of Braga, the baroque roman catholic monument at Bom Jesus do Monte and the 10th century Castelo de Guimaraes in the city of the same name: considered to be the birthplace of the Kingdom of Portugal.

Leaving Porto, you’ll head south by hire car to the pretty university town of Coimbra, where you’ll visit the ruins of the 14th century Santa Clara monastery and Coimbra University – Portugal’s oldest academic institution. Your next stop is UNESCO-protected Tomar – founded by the Templars in 1118, the Convento de Cristo, the Castelo Tomar and the nearby Castelo de Almourol are among Portugal’s most precious historic landmarks. Similarly, in Evora you’ll visit the 1st century Templo Romano Evora – known locally as Diana’s Temple and one of the country’s best-preserved roman sites in Portugal – and the Capela dos Ossos: the macabre Bone Chapel situated in the Igreja de Sao Francisco.

Arriving into Lisbon – the capital is best explored on foot, by tram and by tuk-tuk with our resident with guides and you’ll end your stay with visits to the narrow, twisting lanes in medieval Alfama, the grand Manueline architecture of Belem and the fairy tale hilltop palaces of Sintra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itinerary

You’ll begin your holiday with a direct flight to Porto. Our driver will collect you on arrival for your transfer to the Descobertas Boutique Hotel in the centre of the city.

For your first evening, there's an excellent selection of restaurants lining the riverbank at Ribeira Cais, close to Porto's most famous landmark: the Ponte Luiz I bridge.
You'l take a half-day tour of Porto, with visits to the Se Cathedral, Sao Bento train station, the Palacio da Bolsa, and the famous port houses in Gaia.
You’ll head into wine country on our Douro Valley Wine Tour, visiting the Moscatel wine estate at Quinta do Portal, and Quinta do Bomfim in Pinhao - producer for both Dow’s and Graham’s Vintage port wines.
You’ll head out of the city on a full-day tour of the historic cities of Braga and Guimaraes.
You’ll collect your hire car, before driving south for a two-night stay at Quinta das Lagrimas in the pretty university town of Coimbra.
You’ll explore Coimbra on foot - home to Portugal’s oldest academic institution, and the Biblioteca Joanina which houses many of Portugal’s most-important historical documents.
You’ll leave Coimbra today, driving south to the city of Tomar - the former seat of Portugal’s Order of the Knights Templar - staying at the Vila Gale Collection Tomar.
You’ll be free to explore Tomar’s historic architecture - the 12th century Convento de Cristo, the Igreja de Santa Maria do Olival and the Praca da Republica, and to the south of the city, the Castelo de Almourol.
You’ll leave Tomar, driving south for a two night stay at the Hotel Albergaria do Calvario in Evora, with a visit to historic Obidos enroute.
You’ll have a free day in Evora – home to the Aqueduto da Agua de Prata, the picturesque Praca do Giraldo, the 1st century Templo Romano Evora and the infamous Capela dos Ossos (bone chapel).
You’ll leave Evora, driving west to your final destination: Portugal’s vibrant and engaging capital city Lisbon. You'll be staying downtown at the My Story Hotel Figueira.
You’ll explore central Lisbon on our guided Tuk-tuk tour, with visits to Alfama, the Praca do Comercio, Bairro Alto and Chiado.
You’ll have a free day to explore Belem and it’s historic landmarks: the Padrao dos Descobrimentos, the ornate 16th century Jeronimos Monastery and the Torre de Belem.
For your final full-day, you’ll head west on a guided tour of the hilltop town of Sintra, the most westerly point of mainland Europe at Cabo da Roca, the popular seaside resort of Cascais, and the casino town of Estoril.
You'll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

From £3700 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

Direct flights from the UK, accommodation in twin/double en-suite rooms on a B&B basis, airport transfers, 2 x half-day guided tours, 3 x full-day guided tours and a hire car.

Our customers know that Feefo reviews are the real deal. We trust Feefo to independently collect reviews from our customers

Feefo believe that only authentic reviews are worth collecting: genuine feedback that has been matched to a holiday with us