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 1406 reviews

Henry A.
Spain, Portugal Tour Review: Sevilla, Malaga, Food Tours, 3-Week Trip

Zicasso’s travel company took care of all our needs and if we needed to make changes or find reservations at great restaurants, they responded quickly and set us up in some fantastic restaurants.

The guides and drivers were all super-knowledgeable and nice. We would definitely use the travel company again for trips to Portugal and Spain, and also use Zicasso to help us find tour companies in other countries.

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Peggy C.
Spain, Portugal Travel Review: Douro Valley, Ronda, Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, Flamenco Show, Bullring, Bull Farm, Vineyard, River Cruise, 17-Night Trip

Zicasso’s travel company designed a fabulous 17-day Spain and Portugal tour for us. It was a pleasure to work with our travel specialist during the entire design process. First, the travel specialist spent time talking to us over the phone so she could get to know what each of us wanted to get out of the trip. Armed with that information, she was able to come up with a recommended agenda. We went back and forth a few times until she designed a trip that suited both of our interests. This trip turned out to be the perfect balance between learning about the history of the area, experiencing the culture, and enjoying our surroundings in rural and urban environments.

The week before we left on the tour, we reviewed our entire trip with the travel specialist over the phone. She wanted to answer any questions we may have had and to make sure we understood how to use our trip app. The trip app made it easy to see what we were doing each day. It contained descriptions of each tour and what was significant about the sites we were visiting. We had access to all our tickets through the app. There were Google Map links, so we could easily navigate to the location we needed to be. Recommendations for various restaurants and other things to do in the area were also included in the app.

The travel specialist provided her contact information and back-up contacts in case we needed anything during our trip. She made it clear to us that if our guide or driver was more than five minutes late to contact her. The travel company was there to support us 24/7.

The travel specialist pays attention to details. I highly recommend the travel company for designing a trip to Spain and Portugal.

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David B.
Spain, Portugal Trip Review: Douro Valley, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, Alhambra, 18 Days

It is hard not to be overly effusive in praise of the trip. The hotels, travel, guides, and itinerary were all wonderful. The trip was tailored to our needs and interests very well. We loved our app and Zicasso’s travel specialist checking in on us.

So what were the favorites for me? The Douro Valley, Córdoba, and Toledo. Not saying that I did not enjoy all the rest, but those were the standouts and might merit a return. I think being there during the Christmas season was special, though the crowds in Madrid were a little much for us. It was colder than we expected, but better than sweltering heat.

So what could I have lived without? The Metropol Parasol (recommended by someone else, not the travel company) was underwhelming and the Royal Palace in Madrid was not as interesting as other landmarks. The Alhambra and the Retiro Park in Madrid were more enjoyable.

That said, the travel specialist did a wonderful job accommodating our lifestyle and interests, making for a wonderful travel experience.

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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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Customizable Itinerary

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

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