Stepping into Portugal’s Storied Past: Two Week Historical Tour

Colorful skyline of Porto in Portugal

What to expect on this itinerary

This 2-week Portugal tour immerses you in the country’s cultural delights and storied past. While Portugal is not as widely known as Greece is for it’s history, Portugal is a country that is home to thousands of years of history and is often overlooked by travelers. Uncover the historical treasures of Obidos, follow in the footsteps of the Knights Templar, and attend an authentic fado performance.

Countries Visited

Portugal

Places Visited

Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Obidos, Tomar, Nazare, Coimbra, Porto, Fatima

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Lisbon – Introductory Tour

When you arrive in Lisbon, a private driver will be waiting to greet and transfer you to your accommodation in the heart of the city. Upon your arrival, you will have some time to settle in and relax after the long flight before meeting your guide for a private tour of the city. Your tour will focus on the historical gems of the city, such as the Alfama district, Castelo de São Jorge, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, and Torre de Belém. After your tour, you will have the remainder of the evening to spend at your leisure.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Sintra – The World of Sintra

Day 3

Cascais – Morning in Estoril

Day 4

Cascais – The Queluz National Palace

Day 5

Obidos – Visit Mafra’s Palace

Day 6

Obidos – Alcobaca & Batalha

Day 7

Nazare – A Charming Fishing Village

Day 8

Nazare – Morning Yoga Session

Day 9

Fatima – The Chapel of the Apparitions

Day 10

Tomar – The Knights Templar

Day 11

Coimbra – The Origins of Coimbra

Day 12

Porto – Attend a Fado Performance

Day 13

Porto – Enjoy a Dinner Cruise

Day 14

Porto – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Take a private tour of Lisbon’s historical highlights, including Castelo de São Jorge, the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, and the Torre de Belém
  • Spend a day in the land of Sintra, perusing the Pena Palace and Sintra town
  • Marvel at the treasures of Obidos, which is Portugal’s iconic medieval village
  • Marvel at the Batalha Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória and appreciate its impressive cloisters
  • Visit Nazare and explore Portugal’s most charming fishing village
  • Delve into the fascinating stories that surround the Virgin Mary and her past ties to the pilgrimage site of Fatima
  • Follow in the footsteps of the Knights Templar on an exciting visit to Tomar
  • Venture into Porto’s past on a private tour of its historical sites and attend an authentic fado performance
  • Explore Coimbra and its wealth of history during a private tour
  • Embark on a dinner cruise during a delightful evening in Porto

Detailed Description

This 14-day Portugal tour begins in Lisbon. Here, you will spend your first evening on a private tour of the city’s highlights, such as the Belem Tower. You will then make your way to Sintra, where you will have the opportunity to explore Pena Palace and Sintra town. Cascais will beckon to you on day three, and after spending the morning in Estoril, you will spend the evening along Cascais’ lovely streets. You will then journey to the Queluz National Palace for a private tour.

The following day, you will embark on a tour of Mafra, during which you will be afforded visits to its resident palace and medieval village of Obidos. The historical enclaves of Alcobaca and Batalha will host you the following day. Here, you can visit the Mosteiro de Santa Maria and the Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitória. You will then venture to Nazare, which is Portugal’s most famous fishing village. From Nazare, you will travel to the religious pilgrimage site of Fatima, where you will learn about the city’s ties to the Virgin Mary.

Tomar will be your next stop, and here, you will follow in the footsteps of the Knights Templar.  You will then travel to Coimbra before continuing to Porto. In Porto, you will spend a day exploring the city’s iconic sites before attending an authentic fado performance. Your final full day in Portugal will be spent visiting Braga and Guimaraes.

Starting Price

$4,600 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1403 reviews

Anna V.
Portugal Trip Review: 9 Days

We had one of the best trips. We never expected so much attention from any travel agency, from the beginning to departure.

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Jane M.
Spain, Portugal Vacation Review: Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Lisbon, Porto, 10 Nights

We loved our trip to Spain and Portugal! We enjoyed each of our private tours with our tour guides in the various cities we experienced. They went above and beyond to share their knowledge of the planned sites, plus they added in individual unique sites and information along our walking route.

Zicasso’s tour company took all of our requested activities, venues, and interests to customize a trip that fit us well. They were in communication with us during our trip when a planned site was not available due to construction. Our tour guide provided us with other possible replacement options and let us choose what was of interest to us rather than them making the decision.

We tremendously enjoyed all of the cities, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Seville in Spain and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. Our trip went smoothly and the activities were scheduled at a good pace for us! An extra bonus for us was seeing King Felipe VI by being in the right place at the right time near the opera house in Madrid while we were on our walking tour. We highly recommend Zicasso and the tour company.

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Carole B.
Portugal Tour Review: Sintra, Obidos, Suspension Bridge, 9 Nights

Zicasso’s travel specialist was a class act, very responsive and reliable, and able to adjust on the fly when we needed. She was generous and an absolute class act. We asked for a more spacious room for part of the trip and she delivered, and, I believe, paid out of pocket for the upgrade (which we didn't expect and offered to pay). We were needy at times and she handled it all with professionalism and grace. Well done. I highly recommend the travel company!

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Pamela S.
Spain Vacation Review: Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, Costa Brava, Toledo, Cordoba, Flamenco, Sailing, Museums, Cathedrals, 11-Day Trip

My husband, our two adult sons, and myself had the pleasure of going to Spain for 11 nights. We didn’t know much about the country, so we relied on Zicasso’s travel specialist to guide us. From the start, she explained the history, culture, food, etc.

We traveled to Madrid, Granada, Seville, Barcelona, and Costa Brava! We also took day trips to Toledo and Córdoba. We had excellent tour guides and drivers. Our trip flowed nicely, as we were on the go a lot of the time.

It was a trip of a lifetime for our family. We looked forward to the tapas, paellas, Jamón Ibérico, gazpacho, empanadas, rabo de toro, and, of course, the seafood every evening. The Spanish people were great and some we’ll never forget!

We learned so much about the ancient and early history, including the Roman conquest through the Medieval and early modern history. We were taking in this information all week, including the Prado Museum, the Picasso Museum, and the Dalí Theatre-Museum!

A simple family moment was sitting on our rooftop in Seville by the pool looking out at this beautiful city, which was difficult to leave!

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Joyce G.
Portugal Travel Review: Douro Valley, 10-Day Trip

Zicasso’s travel specialist and her team were amazing! We developed a great itinerary that included diverse activities and beautiful accommodations. Everyone was knowledgeable, pleasant, attentive, and flexible to adjust to changing conditions, such as intermittent bad weather. We highly recommend the whole team!

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Mike K.
Portugal Trip Review: Porto, Lisbon, Wine Tasting, Golf, 2 Weeks

Our trip to Portugal was outstanding. Zicasso, the tour operator, and our travel specialist were excellent. I worked with our specialist for over a month planning our trip. We did this via email and one phone call. She responded to every change I requested promptly and organized the itinerary to exactly how my wife, Jacki, and I wanted it.

The hotels she picked were excellent. The private drivers we had were always on time and were very friendly and professional. The tour guides she provided were great; very informative on the history of Portugal. The wine tours and city tours were exceptional.

Jacki and I have the utmost gratitude for our specialist's efforts in organizing this vacation. I would rate her a 10 of 10. Her expertise was invaluable, which made our vacation so enjoyable. We experienced so much that we couldn't have done on our own.

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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