Portugal
The Best of Portugal: From the Age of Exploration to Today
Program No. 20983RJ
Discover the unique history of Portugal from a local perspective as you examine its architecture, heritage, universities and traditions of port wine on expert-led walks.
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10 days
9 nights
16 meals
8B 3L 5D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Lisbon City Tour
Lisbon
5
Obidos, Alcobaca Monastery and Figueira da Foz
Figueira da Foz
6
The University of Coimbra, meet locals
Figueira da Foz
8
The Douro Valley
Porto
9
Discovering Old Porto
Porto
10
Program Concludes
Porto
At a Glance
In a land known for its explorers, make your own discoveries in Portugal on this journey to medieval monasteries, fertile vineyards and cities that are equal parts history and modern energy. This program combines field trips led by local experts with some time for independent exploration.
Activity Level
Varies by date
Activity level varies depending on departure date: "Keep the pace" or "Let's go":
KEEP THE PACE Participants must be able to walk up 2-3 miles at a time and stand for up to 1.5 hours without sitting. Walking up and down stairs and over cobblestone streets is required. Uneven stairs and sidewalks are common.
LET’ GO Extensive walking. Participants must be able to walk up 3-4 miles at a time and stand for up to 2 hours without sitting. Walking over cobblestone streets is required. Uneven stairs without railings and cobbled sidewalks are common.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Examine architectural treasures of the Age of Discovery in Lisbon and enjoy a lively evening of music at a fado house.
- Set off on a trip to one of the world’s oldest universities, the University of Coimbra, founded in 1290.
- Taste and learn about port wine at the vineyards of the Alto Douro Wine Region.
General Notes
Program includes independent time to explore the city and several meals on your own. Group Leaders will provide directions for self-directed excursions and suggestions for free-time activities.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Luisa Maria Gonçalves Gomes
Luisa Gomes graduated with a degree in Tourism from the Superior School of Tourism of Lisbon and has been working as a National leader since 1992. Her interests range from art history and languages to geography and religious studies. She continues to take many courses at various universities and cultural centers in Lisbon to further her knowledge. Luisa is fluent in French, English, and loves to travel throughout her home country, bringing her course work and expansive knowledge to every program she leads.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Isabel Burnay
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Isabel Burnay is an experienced group leader with more than 25 years in educational travel. In addition to her specialized knowledge leading groups in Portugal and beyond, she is constantly taking culture, history, and other courses to update her knowledge and stay in touch with the latest trends in the educational travel world. Isabel has worked for local as well as international travel companies leading groups from the five continents. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, and Italian.
Paula Bizarro Moreira
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Paula Moreira was born in Portugal and currently lives in Lisbon. She enjoys art, learning about different cultures and cinema. She has taken a variety of different courses ranging from art and image to Judaism and Jewish heritage in Portugal. Paula also speaks four languages. Since 1980, she has been leading groups throughout Europe and has worked as a consultant in tourism product planning, designing and development. Paula studied psychology, tourism and cinema at University in Lisbon, receiving a master’s degree in psychology.
Luisa Maria Gonçalves Gomes
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Luisa Gomes graduated with a degree in Tourism from the Superior School of Tourism of Lisbon and has been working as a National leader since 1992. Her interests range from art history and languages to geography and religious studies. She continues to take many courses at various universities and cultural centers in Lisbon to further her knowledge. Luisa is fluent in French, English, and loves to travel throughout her home country, bringing her course work and expansive knowledge to every program she leads.
Ana Maria Mayordomo Cunha
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Ana Maria was born in Porto to a Spanish mother and a Portuguese father. She has lived most of her life in Lisbon. Ana Maria has been a yoga teacher since 2003, and was for a time the head of the travel department of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation, organizing group travel to Spain, Italy, Peru, the UK, India and Egypt. She has been involved with Road Scholar as a Group Leader and as a speaker. Her interests include trekking and sustainability/environmental protection initiatives.
Helena Baltazar
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Helena Baltazar has a degree in art history from the University of Porto where she also completed a postgraduate degree in museum studies. She then completed her master's thesis in the university’s heritage department. Helena is passionate about her country and has dedicated the past 25 years to lecturing on Portugal’s art and history, participating in projects of museum evaluation and leading educational visits for travelers interested in Portuguese culture, art, and architecture. She also develops programs in Portugal for Road Scholar.
Miguel Metelo Seixas
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Miguel Seixas, Ph.D. is a research fellow at the Institute for Medieval Studies, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, NOVA University of Lisbon, where he teaches Portuguese medieval history. His main interests focus on visual forms of representation of power and the study of images as political and cultural communication devices. He has published around a hundred works – mainly on heraldry and iconography – has participated in several internationally funded research projects, and has been invited as visiting professor at French, Italian, Spanish, and Brazilian universities.
Rita Nazareth
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Rita Nazareth earned her master's degree in tourism and communication from the University of Lisbon. While studying, she became a professional volleyball player. After working in one of the largest Portuguese hotel chains, Rita started doing walking expeditions in Lisbon and working as a group leader in Portugal. Rita is the fourth generation of group leaders in her family. She has traveled to all the continents in the world. Now she is eager to share some curiosities about this small, yet amazing country, Portugal.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Best of Portugal: From the Age of Exploration to Today
Program Number: 20983
Jesus Christ Drank Beer
A House in Darkness
The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
A chronicle of Ferdinand Magellan's sixteenth-century voyage around the world draws on candid first-person accounts and describes his crew's experiences with mutiny, navigation, death, unusual sexual practices, and Magellan's ruthless leadership tactics.
The Maias
Night Train to Lisbon
Obsessed with a book, Raimund Gegorius abandons his old life and travels to Lisbon in search of the truth about writer Amadeu de Prado.
The Painter of Birds
Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire
An epic narrative history, this book chronicles the rise of Portugal in the 16th-century as the small nation fought for a dominant share in the global spice trade.
Journey to Portugal, In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture
Jose Saramago's richly detailed account of his journey across Portugal in 1979. He combines his vivid impressions of the Portuguese landscape and people with a dose of history, fiction and meditations.
Prince Henry "the Navigator," A Life
A complicated, rewarding portrait, and the first biography of this empire-minded Portuguese prince in more than a hundred years.
Baltasar and Blimunda
This tale of two unlikely lovers in Inquisition-era Portugal is arguably Saramago's masterwork: a philosophically charged, intellectually rigorous historical drama which is also a captivating read.
28 Portuguese Poets
A Small Death in Lisbon
Set in Lisbon in 1941 and 1999, this award-winning mystery intertwines a present day murder, some unsavory arms production, and smuggling in Nazi Germany. Please note, there are some graphic passages dealing with the horrors of war and concentration camps.
Lonely Planet Portuguese Phrasebook
A handy pocket phrasebook for Portuguese basics, covering pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.
A Traveller's History of Portugal
A lively, admirably concise survey from prehistory to the present, great for travelers to Portugal who would like an overview of the country's history and culture.
Grape Harvest
Miguel Torga's first novel is a tribute to the Douro, its people, and its landscapes. A book for all who love this extraordinary region.