FV0005 – Standard

Today, and after airport formalities, you will be collected outside customs, and transferred, by Deluxe vehicle with English speaking chauffeur, to your hotel in Lisbon.

After check-in procedures, take your time to unwind and relax!

 

Boasting springtime temperatures during the winter and cool summers freshened by a breeze blowing in from the Atlantic, Costa de Lisboa, on the southwestern coast, offers a rich and impressively integrated diversity. The capital of Portugal since its conquest from the Moors in 1147, Lisbon is a legendary city with over 20 centuries of History.

 

Start your journey in Belém with a stop at a local pastry store dated back from early 19th century. Nowadays it serves an average 10,000 Pasteis de Belém (custard tarts) a day, a specialty made with a secret centuries-old recipe. Indulge in a special gourmet treat on one of their rooms covered with 17th-century tiles.

 

Follows a panoramic tour to Belem area with Discovery Monument and the XVI century Belem Tower. You will take into a private visit to the XVI century Jeronimos Monastery, the incomparable monastery that exemplifies the Manueline style, a highly decorative form of architecture that emerged during the reign of Manuel I (1495-1521). 

 

Lunch (not included) at one of the best fresh fish restaurants in Lisbon, created with the purpose to pay tribute to the old fish shops. Let yourself be seduced by their fresh fish and seafood display cabinet, by the charm of its cuisine and by the irreverent and funny ambiance that define this restaurant.

 

During the afternoon, enjoy a private guided visit to National Tiles Museum, one of the most important of the national museums by the singularity of its collection, Azulejo (tile), an artistic expression that differentiates Portuguese culture, and by the uniqueness of the building in which the Museum is set, former Madre de Deus Convent, founded in 1509 by Queen D. Leonor.

 

End your day at Alfama, the Lisbon’s heart during Moorish times. The Moors have moved on, but the neighborhood retains an exotic atmosphere. You’ll find yourself wandering through colorful XVIII century squares downtown and getting lost in the medieval maze of the Alfama district overlooked by an ancient castle. 

• Suggested dinner (not included) at a one Michelin star restaurant with a sober, sophisticated atmosphere, a discrete and attentive service, and a delightful cuisine. Its singular location at the historic center of Lisbon soon won over Lisbon’s elite who turned the Belcanto into the place to be seen (closed on Sundays and Mondays).

• Not feasible on Sunday’s mornings, Mondays, January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st, June 13th and December 25th.

 

Your driver will take you to Cascais. Upon arrival, meet your private Chef and venture on a tour to the local market. Purchase fresh ingredients for your lunch preparation. 

The narrow maze of century-old streets opens up onto a splendid space lined with bars, cafés and fish restaurants on either side and market stalls down the center. While you stroll through the market, admire the vivid displays of flowers, candied fruit and seasonal produce. 

You will have the privilege of being a guest at one of the noblest houses in Cascais, with the sun and sea always present, it was, originally, an aristocratic residence dating from the XIX Century and now is a charming hotel located by the sea, the Cascais Bay. 

 

Portuguese cuisine is simple, characterized by a rich variety of regional dishes. You will have the opportunity to “get your hands dirty”. Under the guidance of the Chef and with the help of a booklet, you will see yourself preparing a recipe you thought were reserved only for the professionals. After you have prepared your dishes, you’ll be able to eat it, and drink some of our finest wines. Each one will have an apron so you can feel free to cook, without worries and at the end you will receive, further to the recipe a Diploma, proving your new skills. Good Luck!

After class, pamper your taste with lunch (pre-set menu with wines).

Afterwards, meet your expert guide and marvel with the quaint and aristocratic, World Heritage by UNESCO, town of Sintra – where Lord Byron lived and considered it to be “Paradise in Earth”. You’ll see castles, fortresses, forests, and beautiful scenery. 

Sintra and its mystical hills dotted with fairytale palaces and extravagant villas have bewitched visitors for centuries. The Romans made it a place of cult moon worshiping and named it “Cynthia” after the goddess of the moon. They were followed by the Moors who also fell in love with the lush vegetation and built a hilltop castle, a palace, and several fountains around the town. Later it became the summer residence of the Portuguese royal family and attracted a number of wealthy aristocrats who built huge mansions and villas.

You’ll visit the 19th century Pena Palace, one of Europe’s most fantastic palaces. It includes a drawbridge, a conglomeration of turrets, ramparts, and domes, and a gargoyle above a Neo-Manueline arch, all washed in an array of pastel shades. The extravagant interior is decorated in late Victorian and Edwardian furnishings, rich ornaments, paintings, and priceless porcelain preserved just as the royal family left them.

End your day with a stop at a wine-cellar and shop, located in Sintra’s historical center, with over 30 years’ history. There, you will have the opportunity to taste Sintra’s famous ‘Queijada’ and local cheese paired with a glass of Port Wine.

• Visit to local market only possible on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Not feasible on Sundays and Mondays.  

 

Today, your driver will take you to Alentejo Region, to get to know the city of Évora and taste the local flavors. 

With the help from your expert guide, enjoy a panoramic tour through Évora historic center. You will be lectured on the city highlights and local monuments history, like the Roman Temple, the Bones Chapel and the Medieval Cathedral.  

”Evora is the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the earthquake of 1755” Inscription criteria on the List of the UNESCO World Heritage (1985). Due to part of the town which being enclosed by ancient walls preserved in its original state and, to its monuments dating from various historical periods, Évora is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list. 

Lunch (not included) will be served in a small, cozy and friendly restaurant, where the regional cuisine is well prepared according to family recipes. The decoration is rustic, supported in the extensive wine cellar, brand image of this house.

Afternoon at leisure to rest and relax.

• Dinner (not included) at your hotel’s restaurant;

• Not feasible on January 1st, Easter Sunday and December 25th.

 

 

Today your journey continues to Reguengos in order to visit a worldwide famous selected wine estate.

 

The origins of this estate and its winemaking activities, date back to the prehistoric times of the megalithic cultures and the Bronze Age. Already during the Roman occupation, the wines of the settlement were exported to the whole Empire. The boundaries of the estate were established in 1267 and have remained practically unaltered since then. 

 

Enjoy a private visit to wine cellars and a lectured wine and olive oil tasting. Savor the local cuisine and the local olive oils and cheeses, paired with their best wines, in scenery of tranquility, spotted by the greenery of the cork-oaks and olive trees.

 

Treat yourself with a gourmet lunch (not included) at the winery’s restaurant.

 

Besides producing a large quantity of top-quality wines, its prominence on export markets over the last decade has raised the profile of the Alentejo as a quality wine region outside Portugal, and no doubt has encouraged other producers to follow its lead.

 

Time to explore, on your own, the medieval town of Monsaraz village. It is a truly unique place where one can find all the peace and tranquility that have been forgotten by the modern era. 

 

Stop at a local store dating back 1830 with the regional blankets and tapestry is highly recommended. It’s a small shop that sells colorful refined blankets and shawls woven according to local traditions and which are sold internationally at KENZO Home, after the company’s founder Kenzo Takada visited the 19th century factory himself.

 

Tonight, your Chef will meet you at your villa’s kitchen and guide you through a private cooking lesson. Learn the traditional recipes taught by a professional Chef. Enjoy a relaxed ad private dinner at your villa (Activity subject to Chef availability).

• Possible addition of lunch at the winery;

• Not feasible on Mondays, Tuesdays and December 24th, 25th and 31st and January 1st. 

 

Smooth drive towards Lisbon. Time at leisure to relax at Monsaraz or to explore Lisbon.

• Dinner (not included) suggested at one of Lisbon’s most prestigious restaurants. Occupying a fine eighteenth century building, this flagship restaurant is situated in the heart of Chiado and boasts one of the most amazing views over the old quarter of the city and Tagus river. It will surprise you with its delicious Portuguese based “cuisine” with international influences, attentive service in a unique environment and excellent value for money (closed on Sundays and Mondays).

According to your flight departure time, and after check-out procedures, your private chauffeur will meet you at the lobby and take you towards Lisbon International Airport.