* Portugal - Coach tour

Group arrival in Lisbon airport. Transfer by local coach to Figueira da Foz Praia da Vieira region and check-in to 3* hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Capital of the north and Portugal’s second city, enjoy a guided tour of Oporto, especially the old town centre around Praça da Liberdade square, the mediaeval church of St Francisco, and the colourful tile-covered houses and labyrinth of narrow alleyways and cobbled streets of the ancient riverside Ribeira district. Follow the banks of the Douro River to the suburb of Vila Nova de Gaia, dominated by its numerous Port Wine cellars. A visit to one is a must, and naturally tasting is included. The old University town of Coimbra is a delight with its hilltop mediaeval quarter, the delicate stonework of the famous University itself and the 12th century Monastery of Santa Cruz. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Discover the charm and the cultural heritage of Portugal’s capital with a tour of the Rossio district, the heart of the old city, and the lower town - the Alfama, centred around the ancient Monastery of the Hieronymites and the Belem Tower. Stop in a traditional cake shop to taste the local cream-filled pastries, pasteis de nata. Head for the Sunshine Coast and Sintra. Sintra is a stunningly beautiful town with old palaces and monuments, and you can visit the old Royal Palace with its two enormous conical towers. On to the lively seaside resort of Cascais. Dinner and overnight in the region of Setubal.

The walled city of Evora boasts a wealth of historic buildings, and is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is best visited on foot to admire its impressive Gothic Romanesque Cathedral, the Roman Temple of Diane and the Church of St Francis. The Church is famous for its small interior Chapel of Bones, whose ceiling and walls are decorated with human skeletons. The journey to the seaside towns of the Algarve takes you through the expansive plains of the Alentejo region, a fertile province rich in cork oaks and olive trees producing much of the world’s cork. Dinner and overnight in the Faro Portimao region.

The popular Algarve coast occupies the farthest flung corner of Europe’s south west. Albufeira developed as an Arab stronghold though nowadays it is a fishing town and one of the main seaside resorts. On towards Lagos to visit the Church of St Anthony, one of the town’s most remarkable buildings, and the Ethnographic Museum full of archaeological displays and exhibits on life in the Algarve. Just outside Lagos is the Ponta da Piedade headland, where the jagged rock formations make an excellent vantage point from which to admire the view, from Cape Carvoeiro to Cape St Vincent. Further west still is Sagres, where you can visit the fortress and appreciate the rugged beauty of the Algarve, and walk out to the sheer Cape St Vincent cliffs, pounded by Atlantic breakers. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Return to Lisbon, crossing the 18km Vasco de Gama Bridge over the Tagus, one of Europe’s longest. Free afternoon to explore at leisure and perhaps do some shopping for souvenirs. Dinner and overnight in the Lisbon region.