Visits Assissi, Lisbon, Algarve, Portugal, Evora, Portugal, Fatima, Portugal, Oportu, Portugal, Ravenna, Portugal, Tomar, Portugal, Viseu, Portugal 

Trip Starts and Finishes From Lisbon, Portugal

Experience where Ali and some of  the guys

from the Bachelorette went to Europe

The Portugal 2010 Fall Singles Luxury Group Tour Includes:

• Twin-bedded rooms in hotels listed or similar, hotel taxes, service charges, and tips for baggage handling
• Welcome Dinner; 10 buffet breakfasts (BB); 6 three-course dinners (D)
• Services of a professional Tour Director, Group Tour Director and Group Tour Assistants
• Private deluxe motorcoach featuring full air-conditioning, extra leg room, and emergency washroom
• Sightseeing with local guides: Lisbon, Tomar, Oporto, Vila Real, Evora
• Special features: Fatima, Port wine Cellar, Palacio de Mateus, the Algarve, Promontory of Sagres
• Inside visits and special features as shown in bold in the tour description including admission charges where applicable
• Flight bag and portfolio of travel documents
  

Optional Air Add On:  Scheduled transatlantic flights and airport transfers in Lisbon on days 2 and 12 when Luxury Singles Travel, a division of Love To Travel, Inc. issues the air tickets

Airport transfers
Lisbon:  6 am - 4 pm

12 Days / 11 Nights - "Stunning Landscapes of Portugal

2010  Fall Singles Luxury Group" Tour Itinerary:

 Discover the “real” Portugal, from Lisbon’s Jeronimos Monastery

and Oporto’s wine cellars and stock exchange

to the Serra da Estrela Mountains and the Algarve coast!

Portugal 2010 Fall Singles Luxury Group Tour Dates:  

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 - Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Day before, Monday, August 16th, 2010 - Board your overnight transatlantic flight

Day 1, Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 - Arrival in Lisbon, Portugal

Free time to rest or start exploring the Portuguese Capital

Day 2, Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 - Lisbon, Portugal

Free time to rest or start exploring the Portuguese capital

At 6 pm, meet your Group Tour Director and Group Tour Assistants

and the Tour Director

and traveling companions and have a Welcome Dinner at the hotel  (B,D) 

Day 3, Thursday, August 19th, 2010 - Lisbon -

Lisbon was the center of Europe’s longest-lived overseas empire. Portugal’s imperial ambitions date back to Prince Henry the Navigator’s 15th-century discoveries in West Africa and did not subside until the 1970s. Morning sightseeing with a local guide includes Jeronimos Monastery with the tomb of Vasco da Gama. Drive past the Bull Ring to Pombal Statue and on along the grand Avenida da Liberdade. Then enjoy a walk through the cobbled alleys of quaint Alfama, the quarter of the seamen. Afternoon and evening at leisure. Exciting optional excursions to the royal palace of Sintra and dinner at a typical taverna with Fado-style entertainment are available. (BB)

Day 4, Friday, August, 20th, 2010 - Lisbon / Fatima / Tomar -

First stop on your northbound journey is medieval Obidos. Go back in time as you pass the main gate in the impressive perimeter wall and walk along the narrow streets. Continue to Alcobaça to visit the church of Santa Maria Monastery, built in the 12th century for 999 Cistercian monks. See the elaborate tombs of King Pedro I and his Castilian lover Inês de Castro and hear how she was murdered at the order of Pedro’s father. In the afternoon mix with the pilgrims at the country’s hallowed national shrine, Fatima’s Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Overnight in Tomar, the historic seat of the mighty Order of the Knights of Christ. (BB,D)

Day 5, Saturday, August 21st, 2010 - Tomar / Oporto -

Visit the hilltop Convent of Christ with its famous Manueline window. Continuing further north, the Roman ruins of Conimbriga are eloquent testimony to centuries of Roman influence. Tour the excavations, view the well-preserved mosaics and visit the excellent museum. On to Coimbra, on a hill overlooking the Mondego River. After a visit to the gilded baroque library of its 700-year-old university, drive through the ancient Buçaco Forest on your way to charming Oporto, Portugal’s second-largest city. (BB,D)

Day 6, Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 - Oporto - 

Morning sightseeing with a local guide includes a panoramic drive to the mouth of the Douro River, the soaring cathedral, the richly decorated Church of Sao Francisco and the Stock Exchange with its contemporary Arabian Hall inspired by Granada’s Alhambra. Next visit a port wine cellar where the famous wine produced from grapes of the Douro Valley is aged in huge vats. Afternoon at leisure for exploring on your own. Tonight why not join an optional dinner at one of Oporto’s typical restaurants? (BB)

Day 7, Monday, August 23rd, 2010 - Oporto / Viseu -

Head inland to Guimaraes, often referred to as the "Cradle of Portugal" because of its association with the country’s first king, Alfonso Henriques. Next is Vila Real, former capital of Portugal’s northeastern region of Trás-os-Montes. Just outside town visit the splendid park and manor of Palacio De Mateus, whose picture graces the label of the excellent Mateus rosé wine. From here, a scenic road through the port wine vineyards leads to Viseu, believed to have been the home of the Lusitanian leader Viriate who resisted the Roman conquest. (BB,D)

Day 8, Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 - Viseu / Evora -

Through the Serra da Estrela pass Guarda, the country’s highest city, and stop in Belmonte, birthplace of Pedro Alvares Cabral, the discoverer of Brazil. Today Belmonte is a symbol of Jewish awakening. Some of its inhabitants have reconverted to the belief of their ancestors who, during the dark days of the Inquisition, were forced to accept the Catholic religion. Cross the Tagus River, enter the Alentejo plain and look forward to an afternoon break in Castelo de Vide, an enchanting small town. There is time to walk through the Jewish Quarter with its charming white-washed houses and take pictures of the 14th-century castle. Continue on to beautiful Evora, the cultural center of southern Portugal and a former royal residence. (BB,D)

Day 9, Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 - Evora / Algarve -

 
A massive wall surrounds Evora’s medieval center, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A guided walking tour through its narrow alleys takes you to the Roman Temple, the early Gothic cathedral, Portas de Moura Fountain, and Sao Francisco Church. Visit the Ossuary Chapel, whose walls are covered with thousands of human bones and skulls. This afternoon, proceed across the arid Alentejo plain to the spectacular Algarve, Portugal’s most popular holiday area. (BB,D)

Day 10, Thursday, August 26th, 2010 - Algarve Excursion -

Today you may prefer to relax, explore this beautiful resort at your own pace, or join the included excursion along the enchanting southern coastline. History comes alive as you reach the wind-swept Promontory of Sagres, where Henry the Navigator lived and planned his overseas expansion. Only a few miles away is Cape St. Vincent, the southwestern corner of continental Europe, a dramatic cliff defying the waves of an ever-angry Atlantic Ocean. After a break in pretty Lagos, return to your hotel with time left in the day to catch up on your postcards and shopping. Tonight is a chance to try one of the seafood restaurants for which the Algarve is famous.  (BB)

Day 11, Friday, August 27th, 2010 - Algarve / Lisbon -

Head north to Setúbal, a major port and industrial center on the north bank of the Sado Estuary. From here take the scenic route over the Serra da Arrábida, savor sweeping views of the Tróia Peninsula, and catch glimpses of the castle of Sesimbra. After crossing the Bridge of April 25th you’re back in Lisbon.

Farewell Dinner  (BB) (D)

Day 12, Saturday, August, 28th, 2010 - DEPART LISBON -

 
Your homebound flight arrives the same day  (BB) 

Arrive back from Lisbon, Portugal with wonderful

European memories and a luxury group tour with new friends

BB = Breakfast, D = Dinner

Hotels -
LISBON -  First Class Hotel  (F)
TOMAR - First Class Hotel  (F)
OPORTO - First Class Hotel  (F)
VISEU - First Class Hotel  (F)
EVORA - First Class Hotel  (F)
ALGARVE - First Class Hotel  (F)

F = First Class Hotel