From Flamenco to Fado Itinerary

From Flamenco to Fado
Duration: 10 days
Highlights: Seville, Lisbon, Sintra, Obidos, Alcobaca, Nazare, Coimbra, Porto, River Duoro, Braga
This itinerary incorporates the best of Spain and Portugal in a fascinating combination of Andalucia, Lisbon and Northern Portugal.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Seville
Upon arrival at Seville airport you will be welcomed to Spain by your local representative who will assist you into your private vehicle for your transfer to your hotel in Seville,
where you will be greeted and assisted with check-in.
The remainder of the day will be at leisure, exploring this beautiful city.
Overnight: Gran Melia Colon
Day 2 - Seville
Spend the morning with your guide discovering the most important sights of Seville, capital of Andalucía which embodies the spirit of the most exciting region in Spain. First
visit the Alcázar, the longest inhabited Royal Palace in Europe and a marvel of Moorish style, ‘mudéjar’ architecture and gardens; after which the flower scented whitewashed
streets of the Barrio Santa Cruz seem not to have changed in 100s of years.
Then head to the Cathedral, the second largest church in Christendom with the Giralda bell tower, which was once the minaret of the 12th century mosque.
Stop for lunch in one of Seville’s countless bars and small restaurants to enjoy some delicious ‘tapas’ and then either spend the afternoon at leisure or join your expert guide
to discover some of Seville’s lesser known treasures, like the beautiful ‘Casa de Pilatos’ palace, the marvellous 18th century Maestranza Bullring, the shrine of 'La
Macarena’ or the Hospital de la Caridad whose chapel is a wonder of Andalusian Baroque architecture.
Tonight you will experience a unique performance of pulsating flamenco dancing and singing.
Overnight: Gran Melia Colon
Meal Plan: B
Day 3 - Andalusian countryside
Your driver and English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel and you can choose one of the following three options for the day's excursion:
Perhaps Jerez de la Frontera, home of sherry wine and the incomparable Royal Equestrian School where you can enjoy a display of some of the most superb horsemanship
in the world (Tuesdays and Thursdays only).
Alternatively, drive deep into the Andalusian countryside, through pastures where fighting bulls are bred, past forests of cork oak and delightful “white” villages. These villages
remain unchanged since Moorish times and some are precariously perched on hilltops with resounding names like Arcos de la Frontera, Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra.
Another option could be to spend a day in the company of your own English-speaking naturalist guide exploring the amazing 'Coto Doñana' the largest nature reserve in
Europe where millions of birds either rest or spend the winter as they migrate from Africa to as far as Siberia. It is recommended to visit either early morning or in the evening
to enjoy maximum bird activity.
Return to your hotel in Seville.
Overnight: Gran Melia Colon
Meal Plan: B
Day 4 - Seville - Lisbon
Today your private car will take you westwards into Portugal, stopping at places of interest en-route. After driving through woods, pastures and over rolling hills the
landscape changes as soon as you cross the frontier close to the beautifully preserved fortress town of Elvas. Then you are in the Alentejo region, famed for its wine and
cattle, passing hilltop towns like Estremoz, crowned by its castle and an excellent place for lunch.
Then on to the capital of the region, Évora. Here you will meet your English-speaking guide to see the temple built by the Romans and still standing in the centre of the town,
walls built by the Arab invaders, Baroque palaces and churches like San Francisco with its crypt filled with the bodies of fully dressed mummified monks.
Arrive in Lisbon in the late afternoon and check-in to your hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Bairro Alto
Meal Plan: B
Day 5 - Lisbon
Your driver and English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel for a morning spent discovering the best known sights of Portugal’s capital. Your tour will include the
enchanting hilltop district of the Alfama, little changed since Moorish times with superb views over the city and Tagus Estuary.
Then head through the 18th century Baijo which was rebuilt after the catastrophic earthquake of 1755, then on to the riverside Jeronimos Monastery, an amazing example of
the exuberant 'Manueline' gothic architecture and containing the tomb of the great explorer Vasco da Gama. Close by is the fascinating little Torre de Belem fortress,
surrounded by water; and the Bandeirantes Memorial to the Portuguese seafarers, who over the centuries created furthest flung and longest lasting of the great European
empires.
After lunch the afternoon is yours to relax and perhaps peruse the shops in the fascinating Bairro Alto district; alternatively join your driver and English-speaking expert guide
for a further tour to discover more of the treasures of this unique city. Visit the superb museum created by the eccentric Armenian oil millionaire Calouste Gulbenkian who
gave Lisbon his amazing collections of art ranging from early Babylonian pottery to Rembrandt and Lalique glass. Or perhaps the little visited Palacio dos Marqueses de
Fronteira, a marvellous private palace surrounded by gardens decorated with superb ‘azulejo’ tiles. Or for art lovers a visit to the enchanting Museu de Arte Antiga, filled with
paintings by medieval and Renaissance Portuguese artists, is a must.
Tonight enjoy dinner with a performance of 'fado' the unique, infinitely wistful, music of Lisbon, performed by the finest singers and musicians in the city.
Overnight: Hotel Bairro Alto
Meal Plan: B
Day 6 - Lisbon - Sintra - Cascais - Lisbon
This morning get picked up by your driver and English-speaking guide and travel out of Lisbon to discover the delightful town of Sintra, long the residence of Kings and
aristocrats not just from Portugal, but in the 18th century the home of English 'milords' like the poet Byron.
First stop is the Palacio Nacional in the centre of the town which was the royal palace for centuries. It is a fascinating combination of medieval fortifications, Royal apartments
and gardens decorated with tiles and fountains. Nearby is another extraordinary royal residence, the hilltop Palacio de Pena, built in the late 19th century by the German
consort of the Portuguese queen in a style reminiscent of the castles of 'mad' King Ludvig of Bavaria.
Enjoy lunch in Sintra and spend time visiting the many boutiques, handicraft and antiques stores. Your driver and guide will then take you to the delightful coastal resort of
Cascais. Once just a fishing port and then the preferred summer refuge of Lisbon society, Cascais retains a charm all of its own.
Return to your hotel in Lisbon.
Overnight: Hotel Bairro Alto
Meal Plan: B
Day 7 - Lisbon - Obidos - Alcobaça - Nazare - Porto
Today you will depart Lisbon with your English speaking driver and guide northwards into the heartland of Portugal.
Obidos, the first stop, is the perfect place to pick up souvenirs. The flower filled, whitewashed, village is filled with artists’ studios, art galleries and attractive shops within the
town walls where all traffic is banned. Then on to Alcobaça to visit the exquisite Cistercian monastery, before continuing to the coast to the fishing village of Nazare. Here
you will have time for lunch, where a local fish or sea food dish is highly recommended.
You will arrive in Porto in the late afternoon, where you will spend the final three nights of your tour.
Overnight: Infante Des Sagres
Meal Plan: B
Day 8 - Porto
This morning is spent exploring the charms of Portugal’s second city with your guide and vehicle for a walking tour of Porto. Since the mid 18th century it has been the capital
of the port wine trade, much of it still in the hands of centuries old firms. The wine is still made and matured in the 'lodges' which line the river and your stay will of course
include a visit to one of the most prestigious to learn about this unique wine and, of course, taste it.
But there is much more to Porto; the delightful Cais da Ribeira quayside, the spectacular bridge high over the river built by Gustave Eiffel, the fortified Cathedral, the
exuberant baroque church of Sao Francisco, the extraordinary neo-Moorish Stock Exchange and not forgetting the marvellous Mercado do Bolho market, which has not
changed in 100 years.
This afternoon is yours to relax, explore on your own, or join your expert English-speaking local guide to discover more of the city. Perhaps a ride beside the river in a
traditional street car, or take a boat trip on the River Douro, or visit the spectacular Serralves Foundation Museum of contemporary art, or discover the charm of 19th century
Porto in the unique Art Nouveau Café Majestic or the marvellous Livraria Lello bookshop.
Overnight: Infante Des Sagres
Meal Plan: B
Day 9 - Porto - Pinhao - Braga - Porto
Today will be an opportunity to explore the delightful region around Porto with your driver and English-speaking guide.
What could be better than to travel along the delicious green valley of the River Douro where the orchards and vineyards climb up the hillsides? Driving through Peso de
Regua and on to the village of Pinhao, the terraces of vines become steeper and still more dense as you reach the district where the very finest wine grapes are harvested.
Here you will visit a traditional “quinta” to learn more secrets of port wine and enjoy lunch overlooking the river.
But if your are not such a wine lover then a fascinating option can be to travel a short distance north to the little town of Guimaraes, beyond doubt one of the most attractive in
Portugal. Its streets and squares seem not to have changed in centuries and its churches are wonderful examples of Portuguese Baroque decoration.
The regional capital of Braga is the next stop. The town centre and Cathedral are delightful but the most memorable visit is to the shrine of Bom Jesus do Monte just outside
the town. Sited on a hilltop it is reached by a quite extraordinary huge granite staircase with over a dozen flights of steps, each decorated with statues and fountains.
After which the road takes you to Mateus, one of the most beautiful country houses in Portugal, filled with fine furniture and surrounded by splendid formal gardens.
Overnight: Infante Des Sagres
Meal Plan: B
Day 10 - Depart
Today your driver will meet you for your private transfer to Porto Airport
Meal Plan: B