Lisbon: The City Experience 6 days / City Stays
About This Experience
Lisbon has history 2,000 years in the making. One look at its Roman walls and Moorish castles easily proves that Lisbon is—at its heart—the capital of an empire that once spanned the globe. Relive the glory days when Portuguese explorers sailed the seas; stroll across mosaic-covered pavements; sample sweet wines and soak up the Old World ambiance of this cultured capital.
Your Tour Includes
Round-trip airfare & transfers
4 nights in handpicked hotels
Breakfast daily, 1 three-course dinner with beer or wine
Multilingual Tour Director
Private deluxe motor coach
Select entrance fees
Why You'll Love It
Vinho verde & tawny port
The vast legacy of the Age of Discovery
The lavish Mosteiro dos Jerónimos
Moorish flourishes in Alfama
Window-shopping & café-hopping in the Chiado
Fresh seafood & coastal charm
Overnight Flight1 night
Lisbon4 nights - hotel info
Day2
Day3
Follow a local through Lisbon, past fado bars and fortified towers
Breakfast
Jerónimos Monastery
This morning, a local guide leads your comprehensive tour of Lisbon. You’ll see Padrão dos Descobrimentos, the Torre de Belém, the Moorish Alfama district, the Castelo de São Jorge and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Tonight, opt for a dinner excursion that will feature a live performance of fado, a beloved Portuguese musical style.
Optional Excursions
Fado Dinner & Show $75* pp
Spend your evening at Lisbon tavern listening to fado. Derived from the Latin word fatum—meaning "prophecy" or "fate"—fado is Portugal’s national musical treasure. Fado's traditional theme is “saudade,” a word that doesn't quite translate to English but conveys an overwhelming sense of longing for something lost. Dinner is included during this memorable musical evening.
Day4
Kick back on the Portuguese Riviera or head to where the royals summer
Breakfast
The next few days are yours to explore Lisbon, either completely at your own pace or by taking advantage of the optional excursions offered. You might immerse yourself in the art at the Museu da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian or the Museum of Ancient Art. Venture outside Lisbon to relax on the Costa do Estoril, also known as Portugal’s Riviera, on the sunny beaches of Estoril or Guincho. Your Tour Director will be available to help and offer suggestions for your plans. You might also join an optional excursion to Sintra.
Optional Excursions
Sintra $59* pp
The poet Lord Byron called Sintra the most beautiful town in the world. Decide for yourself on an excursion to this small city at the base of the Sintra Mountains. Today, Sintra is a popular weekend escape for Lisboetas, but it was once the playground of Portuguese royalty. Get a glimpse into the life of Portugal's kings and queens during a tour of Sintra National Palace. As the only surviving royal palace from the Middle Ages, Sintra National Palace has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. On your way back to Lisbon, you'll stop in the beautiful town of Cascais, which boasts charming streets and picturesque seascapes.
Day5
Ride a tram downtown or get out of town in historic Évora
Breakfast
Spend another day as you wish exploring Lisbon. Or you may choose to take an optional excursion to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Optional Excursions
Évora $99* pp
Depart for a full day in Évora, a former seat of Portuguese royalty. During a guided walking tour of the city, you’ll visit its most important monuments, including the Cathedral of Évora and the Roman-era Temple of Diana. After enjoying an included lunch,you'll visit the Church of St. Francis and its famous Chapel of Bones followed by a walk to the Municipal Gardens.
Extend Your Stay
Add Lisbon $259*
Take two extra days in the Portuguese capital to explore its monuments, cafes and winding streets. Walk through the Alfama district, seek out the city’s best bachalau and caldo verde, or pack a picnic lunch and watch the world go by on the banks of the Tagus. Many travelers don’t realize that Lisbon is hundreds of years older than London, Paris and other European capitals; and there’s a discovery around every corner.
Lisbon2 nights - hotel info
Day1
Camp out at a cafe, stroll the plazas or cruise by the Cristo-Rei
Breakfast
Spend this time furthering your explorations of Lisbon. You may also enjoy an optional cruise on the Tagus River.
Optional Excursions
Cristo-Rei $80* pp
Leaving Lisbon, take a scenic drive across the striking Bridge of 25th of April, which bears resemblance to San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Arriving on the south side of the Rio Tejo, you’ll visit Cristo-Rei, a 300-foot-tall monument reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro’s famed Christ the Redeemer statue. Built in 1959, the Cristo-Rei symbolizes Portugal’s appreciation for being spared the effects of World War II. Following your visit, savor lunch at a local restaurant overlooking the Tagus River and Lisbon skyline. Finish your daytrip with a leisurely ferry ride from Cacilhas to Cais do Sodré, where a bus will bring you back to the hotel.
Day2
Passport & Visa
In order to enter Portugal, U.S. citizens need a valid passport. The expiration date must extend at least six months beyond the date of your return to the United States. No visa is required for U.S. citizens. If you are not a U.S. citizen, please contact the Portuguese consulate for your specific entry requirements.
Health
There are no recommended immunizations for travel to Portugal.
Transportation / Walking on tour
Most sightseeing is conducted by private motor coach. For some included visits and optional excursions, be prepared for some more walking through elaborate monuments and museums, with steps.
Baggage Allowance
Airlines have varying weight restrictions on luggage. Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding your airline’s checked baggage policies. Bear in mind that your luggage will probably weigh more on your return trip due to souvenir shopping. We allow only one suitcase per person. One carry-on bag is also permitted, provided that it does not exceed 45 inches (length + width + height). There may be times when you will have to handle your own bags, and you’ll find that lightweight luggage provides a distinct advantage. Make sure you label your baggage and carry valuables, medication and documents in your carry-on luggage.
Clothing and Packing Tips
To ensure you’re comfortable while out exploring, we recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered. For sightseeing, we suggest bringing a sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers, as well as a lightweight sports jacket or rainwear. If you’re planning a visit to a high-end restaurant or performance, you may also want to bring dressier attire. Also, please remember that it’s preferable to avoid showing bare legs or shoulders during visits to churches or other religious sites (entrance may be denied on this basis).
Currency
The euro is the currency you’ll use on tour. Better rates of exchange are usually available in your destination countries, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive. We advise that you take a combination of bank/ATM cards and credit cards, as needed. We suggest that you inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans, so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
Cuisine
Portuguese food is fresh, hearty and delicious, especially seafood. Try sardinhas asadas (grilled sardines), cataplana (a shellfish stew cooked in a sealed, shell-shaped copper pan) or the national dish, bacalhau (salted codfish). Other dishes worth sampling are feijoada, a fava bean and sausage stew, and caldo verde, a cabbage-based soup. Also note, a couvert, a simple plate of bread, butter and olives, is often served the minute you sit down. While it is free in many restaurants, some places will add a charge to your bill for it.
Tipping
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity. We recommend tipping in your tour country’s currency, the equivalent of $3USD/CAD per person per day for your driver and $6USD/CAD to $9USD/CAD per person per day for your Tour Director. If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD/CAD per local guide. Tips can only be paid in cash. Please keep current local currency exchange rates in mind when tipping.
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Great short city tour..
Great tour of Lisbon. We had a fantastic tour director - Rafaela. The hotel was decent, little small, but well located. Lisbon is a fantastic town. I would HIGHLY Recommend NOT to take the optional tours, and do some research before you arrive. Since Portugal is a very tourist friendly country, you will find multiple tour operator who can offer better tour at cheaper price. Do your homework before you arrive and you will see more, at a lesser price. Pretty much everyone speaks/understands English, so language won't be a problem in this tour. Though not taking the optional tours, I would highly suggest to take the extensions. you will enjoy your time highly.
Obrigada Lisboa!!
I had an amazing time! Thank you to my wonderfully knowledgeable tour guide Rafaella & thanks to Go Ahead for a great experience. We had just enough time to do the group activities (walking tour, dinner etc), our add on excursions and do our own stuff. Lisbon was so easy to navigate an my own. I cant wait to do another tour, this is so affordable and easy to plan since I am a doctoral student on a budget.
Great Trip
Lisbon is such a great city! I was a little skeptical before I went, but it is such an amazing place!
Lisbon, Portugal
My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour to Lisbon. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. She was also very personable. The sites we saw were awesome. We went in February and the weather was great. It was nice to go from downtown to the mountains as well as to the ocean.
Lisbon City Stay
For a feeling of really getting to know the city and surrounding area this was a wonderful tour. The local guides were charming and experienced. The sense of local culture was transmitted.
Lisbon City Stay July7-14 2012
Excellent. Small (14) friendly compatable group. Hotel was very good,short walk to Metro. Tour Director should have been more knowledgable about restaurants within walking distance of hotel. Sintra and Cascais a must. Evora basically a shopping trip..
Enjoy the days
There were several opportunities for excusions that were GREAT. I enjoyed my trip and met several new people who recommended other tours to take. It was extremely enjoyable.
Lisbon
Was a good trip.
Too short of a stay...
The normal city stay here really only gives a visitor 4 days to explore, perhaps too little time. The optional tours were very good. There is walking to do in town and you need to be able to be comfortable with using public transportation. The old part of Lisbon is very beautiful and it is fun to walk the area or take a on and off bus (I really rercommend this to begin your exploration of Lisbon), I would recommend adding another day or two to this stay (either getting there earlier or staying a few days later, perhaps to explore the northern or southern coasts. The way the city stay is now, it is very overpriced.
Lisbon was excellent
My husband and I enjoyed the Lisbon City Stay. The hotel was a little off the beaten track, so to get to downtown, taxis were the best bet. Not having the hotel in the downtown area made it difficult to spend part of the day downtown, relax for a while in the hotel, and then go back out. Other than the location of the hotel, we enjoyed the experience immensely and recommend City Stays for anyone wanting more freedom to pursue their own interests while still having a great resource in the tour director, who is available to you whenever needed.
