escorted sightseeing tour of Northern Portugal

TENTATIVE ITINERARY	NIGHTSTOP
Day One - Sunday
You arrive in Portugal's second largest city, Oporto (sometimes referred to as Porto). Depending upon the arrival of fellow traveller's flights, we'll either leave immediately for Braga, our base for the first three nights, or you'll be taken into Oporto to enjoy a brief introduction to this harbour city. Once our party is complete, we'll take the short drive into the hills and to Braga where, following an orientation tour, you'll be free to discover some of the attractions of this pretty town. Braga was once the seat of the Primate of All Spain and its architecture confirms the influence of the church. You'll marvel at the churches and Calvaries in the rich Renaissance style, just two minutes walk from our hotel. The city is also noted as the centre of Portuguese baroque art, examples of which you'll see in the cathedral, again just minutes from our hotel. Braga also has many local craftsmen, including potters and leather workers whose produce can be purchased at the street stalls that dominate the city streets on market fair days.	Braga
Day Two - Monday
First on today's itinerary will be the attractive small town of Barcelos, situated on the north bank of the Cávado in a green and fertile region. The town was once the capital of the first country of Portugal and residence of the first duke of Bragança. It's now a busy agricultural market and a well-known centre for pottery and carved wood and especially the famed decorated roosters which have become the symbol of Portugal. General highlights of the town will include the Gothic pillory and the Solar dos Pinheiros, a beautiful Gothic manor house built of granite. Our next stop will be at the pleasant holiday resort of Viana do Castelo. Once a small fishing village, it became wealthy in the 16th century following the Great Discoveries and its fishermen fished off the coast of Newfoundland and traded with the Hanseatic cities. This evening we'll enjoy Braga's nightlife and explore the local street cafes and bars.	Braga
Day Three - Tuesday
Guimarães, 'cradle of the Portuguese nation', is the subject of this morning's explorations and amongst the highlights of our visit will be the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança. This carefully restored palace is a national museum and houses a wonderful collection of 16th century tapestries amongst other beautiful items. We'll also see the medieval castle and enjoy time walking the squares in the old town where 14th and 15th century houses line the majority of the streets. Also, on today's tour will be visits to the iron age settlement of 'Citânia de Briteiros', a prehistoric city, and to the popular pilgrimage site of Monte Sameiro, a hilltop sanctuary which affords a tremendous panorama over the Minho. Please note: as with many of Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd tours, a certain amount of walking is involved. On Continental tours, especially, we cannot access sites and attractions, or park near them, even in our small vehicles. Clients who have mobility problems may not find these tours suitable or may have to be prepared to miss certain sites which have to be walked to.	Braga
Day Four - Wednesday
We'll spend our morning in Oporto. This harbour city, sitting on the banks of the Douro river, is one of Europe's most atmospheric cities. The old town, which we'll explore in depth, rises in tiers from the river bank, an overlapping series of hillside alleys lined with corbelled houses. We'll visit the cathedral which was built in the 12th century originally as a fortress church, and the Cais (quay) de Ribeira, from where one gets the best views of Oporto's three remarkable bridges. Of course, we could not leave the city without first visiting one of the famous Port Caves (cellars) for which the city is world renowned. Leaving Oporto we drive to Amarante, a picturesque small town well-known for its pastries and its 'vinho verde' wine.	Amarante
Day Five - Thursday
Having visited the cellars, and seen the great wine 'rabello' barges on the river, today we'll discover the area where the wine originates. We drive around the Douro Valley. The Douro is hemmed in by steep hills and winds round in great, majestic, twists and turns. The bank tend to the wild and wooded on one side and the cultivated on the other, with terraced olive groves and corn fields, and where little white washed villages appear to themselves be hanging in the vines. This fabulously scenic drive rivals any and it's almost worth taking this tour for this drive alone. This is undiscovered Portugal at its very best. Our tour also takes us to Vila Real, famed for its black pottery and home of the Mateus wines, and Lamego, an Episcopal town. It's rich in 16th and 17th century bourgeois houses and famed as being the site of the first national assembly of representatives which recognised Henrique as first king of Portugal in 1143. We'll also visit the baroque sanctuary of 'Our Lady of the Remedies'.	Amarante
Day Six - Friday
From Amarante, we drive through the Serra do Marão heading south. En route through this area we'll stop at the pretty hilltop village of Castro Daire from where there are fabulous views. We'll also visit Viseu. Here you can either explore the old town or perhaps visit the Grão Vasco museum which houses works by the famous Viseu School of Painting which flourished here in the 16th century. Our final destination of the day is Mangualde where we find our superb traditional manorial accommodation.	Mangualde
Day Seven - Saturday
The medieval Mangualde boasts the Palace of the Counts of Anadia, and the Church of the Misericord. Touring out from the old town we take another outstanding scenic drive, over the Serra da Estrela, to the fortified town of Guarda. The town's history as a fortification stretches back into prehistory due to its strategic location. It also served as a military base for Julius Caesar. We'll spend time exploring this and other eastern fortified towns.	Mangualde
Day Eight - Sunday
From Mangualde we take the expressway through the mountains to the coastal town of Aveiro. This lovely town is famous for its 'moliceiros' (seaweed boats), salt pans and the gondola shape boats on the many canals which criss-cross the town give it the feel of a Portuguese Venice. A seafood lunch here will be particularly appropriate. Later, we drive to the ancient university city of Coimbra, first capital of Portugal and whose romantic setting has been an inspiration for generations of poets.	Coimbra
Day Nine - Monday
We'll have a full day to leisurely explore this interesting city with visits to the university, the narrow shopping alleyways of the old town, botanical garden, cathedral and many interesting museums and art galleries. Dinner is not included tonight to allow you some independence of choice in this lovely city.	Coimbra
Day Ten - Tuesday
Today is a full day. First on our itinerary will be the pilgrimage sites at Fátima, then tour the nearby Batalha monastery, one of the best examples of Gothic and Manueline architecture in the country. We'll enjoy a late lunch, and great views of the Atlantic Ocean, in the unspoilt typical fishing village of Nazaré. Then time in Alcobaça where you'll perhaps succumb to the temptation to buy the traditional and colourful pottery for which it's famed. Finally, we reach the walled city of Óbidos and our nightstop nearby.	Óbidos
Day Eleven - Wednesday
Today we'll enjoy another leisurely day by dedicating ourselves to exploring the medieval town of Óbidos. Once this was an important coastal town but the silting of the nearby bay marooned the town inland and preserved its quiet charm. It's almost unbelievably pretty.	Óbidos
Day Twelve - Thursday
Another walled town is on today's itinerary, the town of Évora. This has been a walled town since Roman times but conquest by the moors has also left it with an attractive Moorish feel with archways, alleyways, brilliant white houses, hanging gardens and terraces. From its rich past Évora retains several medieval and Renaissance palaces and mansions in addition to a wealth of Roman sites and excellent museums. We'll have our last meal together tonight.	Évora
Day Thirteen - Friday
Leaving Évora we drive through Reguengos to Vila Viçosa. Here, in a town described in one guide books as being 'a town of shade and bright colours', we'll visit the Ducal Palace of the Braganças, the last Royal Family of Portugal. Our final destination for the day is Lisbon and we'll drive in mid-afternoon. There'll be a short city tour before we check into our hotel. Dinner tonight is not included as you'll no doubt wish to explore as much of this charming city as is possible before your return home tomorrow.	Lisbon
Day Fourteen - Saturday
Departure day. After fond farewells to 'Meu Amorzinho' and fellow Back-Roaders, you'll be transferred to the airport by your guide. Those wishing to see more of Lisbon may stay on independently on an extension package.