Lisbon Tour – New Year 2020

Lisbon, a city full of light and life, enchants all those who visit it thanks to its magical atmosphere. We land in the capital of Portugal and according to the arrival time we have some time available for a first discovery of the picturesque city. We visit the Monasterio Dos Jerónimos, the splendor of Manuelian art and the Tower of Belém (exterior). We walk along the typical neighborhood of Alfama, the oldest in the capital with narrow, winding streets. Lunch and dinner are free. We move to the hotel, we settle in the rooms allocated for overnight stay

Our guide takes us to discover the capital: starting from the Belém district, "the treasure island" to visit the Church of the Jeronimos Monastery and the famous Belém Tower (exterior). During the visit we have the opportunity to taste some delicacies of Portuguese pastries including the delicious "Pastel de Belém". We have lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon, we head to the Alfama district and reach the Belvedere of Santa Luzia from where we can admire one of the most beautiful views in all of Lisbon. We continue the tour with a visit to Rossio and Piazza del Comercio, the city's business center. At the end of the visits, we have free time to take a walk admiring the streets, the alleys that lead us to irregular squares, churches and terraces with a view. After the free dinner we return to the hotel for overnight stay.

This morning we head towards the sea, in particular, with the guide we will visit Sintra and its Palace, it is a city with a fairytale atmosphere. You can't miss the chance to taste the delicious queijada, the specialty of this city. We have lunch in a typical restaurant and immediately after we leave for Cabo de Rocha, the westernmost point of the European continent. We continue the journey towards the "Costa del Sole" and its beaches: the cosmopolitan Costa di Estoril and Cascais, a traditional fishing port. We return to the hotel for the Great New Year's Eve dinner with drinks, live music, dances, and also grapes are distributed and a cotillon bag per person used to wait together for the arrival of a new year respecting one of the most famous customs of Portugal.

Today, we travel to Obidos, a small fortified medieval village for an excursion where we taste the Ginginha liqueur with its characteristic cherry flavor. We arrive in Nazaré, a charming fishing village for a typical fish-based lunch. In the early afternoon we have free time to walk along this beautiful beach, before our eyes a splendid one opens. We continue to reach Batalha and discover the monastery built in honor of the Portuguese army's victories while in the late afternoon we discover the famous sanctuary of Fatima emblem of the cult dedicated to the Virgin. In the evening we return to the city, free dinner and overnight at the hotel.

This morning we see Palmela, a white village north of the Serra d’Arrábida, the castle offers us a magnificent view. We arrive in Setúbal which maintains until today one of the most traditional activities of the region, the collection of salt. In the surrounding areas there are areas that belong to the Sado natural reserve, where dolphins can be spotted, and we also see the Arrábida Natural Park. After lunch in a restaurant we arrive in Azeitão to visit the Pies factory in Azeitão. Here the typical Azeitão cake is produced, a sort of pasta prepared with eggs, its characteristic light scent of cinnamon and lemon makes this cake an excellent example of traditional Portuguese pastry. We continue on the Manero José Maria da Fonseca (JMF); we make a first visit to the "Casa Museau" located in the city center. Let's listen to a brief explanation of the company's history, and then be guided through the ancient cellars where the oldest Muscats, the best Portuguese wines from Setúbal (Muscat or Moscateis) rest. Some are real memorabilia over 100 years old. This evening we participate in a dinner-show in a famous neighborhood. During the evening we have the opportunity to enjoy a typical dinner, listening to what represents the best Portuguese soul and culture: Fado, a genre of typically Portuguese popular music recognized by UNESCO as the intangible heritage of humanity. After the show we return to the hotel for overnight stay.

Our journey ends today so based on the flight schedule, we move to the airport to return to Italy.