minamax10

Greetings!

Putting final touches on the program for our group of 18 (mostly 65-80yrs ladies from Japan ). I’ve been doing a lot of research, but still feel quite uncertain because Portugal intimidates me with its terrain (hills, cobbles, tiles, etc etc..). I have gotten many warnings on forums saying that I have to be very mindful and constantly remind the ladies to be careful while walking.

Thank you for taking a look at the itinerary. I realize that many things might not go according to the timetable, but I need to have at least an outline –after all, we are from Japan and timekeeping is a big thing here!

We will have Japanese speaking guides in Porto and Lisbon, but I don’t have any contact with them and won’t until we meet them in Portugal. Because Porto seems to be quite small (the area that we are covering), I am considering not renting a bus. The agent that provides Japanese speaking guides encourages me to hire a bus in Porto. Not sure if I am making a mistake by not hiring one. Would appreciate any input!

Thank you in advance for taking the time and for your feedback!

day 1 / arrive 22.15h,
Transfer to the hotel by a minibus
check in at the hotel on Square Liberdade



day 2 / 9.30 – 17.00h with a guide, all walking, no bus

***Concern: is it too much walking? Distance-wise does not look like it’s too much, but I am not sure if the terrain is very difficult here. Would it be better to charter a bus for the day?

9.30h Square Liberdade > walk to Sao Bento station > Porto Cathedral > walk over Dom Luise Bridge top-level > Cable car down to Vila Nova de Gaia > walk to Taberninha do Manuesl https://goo.gl/maps/qzwjfWexnh3HDh1J6
12.30/13.00h -14.00/14.30h LUNCH (Taberninha do Manuesl, bus cannot reach this restaurant)
https://goo.gl/maps/8d6Q6AN7KCRQaopZ8
14.00 – 17.00h Taxi from the restaurant to Carmo/Carmelitas church & Hidden house (tour inside) > Bookstore Lello (group fast pass) > Clerigos Tower (outside only) > souvenirs at A Vida Portuguese > hotel
https://goo.gl/maps/LCtnTURtPoqbGVTS9
19.00h Welcome dinner at Barao Fladgate restaurant
21.30/22.00h arrive at the hotel


day 2 / Douro valley full day, bus charter
9.30 depart for Quinta do Seixo (ca 2hr transfer)
11.30 1-hour tour of Quinta do Seixo (Sandman)
12.30-14.30 Picnic in the vineyard
14.30-15.15h Transfer to and short tour of Pinhao + station
15.15-16.30h Rabelo Boat ride (75min)
16.30 transfer to Qunta do Marrocos
17.00h short tour of Quinta do Marrocos, hopefully, there’s some harvest activity going on
18.00-20.30 dinner with Folklore show
22.30 arrive at the hotel



day 3 / taxi + walk

*** Too much walking? Agent suggests hiring a bus for the day. I guess for transfers between: hotel > Bolsa palace + Funicular > Restaurant + Restaurant > Rua Santa Catarina.
taxi to Bolsa Palace
https://goo.gl/maps/qx9wAdMr9bvoYxoq7
9.30 Tour Bolsa palace (45mi)
10.30 tour St. Francis church (45min)
11.15-12.15 Walk around Rebiera waterfront + Funicular to upper level
https://goo.gl/maps/tyBrMNzywWecU9zR6
walk to restaurant éLeBê Entreparedes
12.30-14.00h Lunch at eLeBe restaurant
walk to Rua Santa Catarina area for shopping (free time)
return to hotel
19.00h dinner at Brasão Cervejaria Coliseu Baixa (Francesina)
21.30 arrive at the hotel


day 4 / charter bus

8.00h depart for Coimbra
10.00h -11.00h tour Coimbra university
11.00h entrance to the Library
11.20-12.30 walk through Coimbra
Lunch at Arcada (tapas)
14.00h depart for Batalha Monastery
15.15-16.30 Tour Batalha Monastery
transfer to Lisbon
18.30 check in H10 Duque
19.30 dinner at Forninho Saloio
walk back to hotel
21.30 arrive at the hotel



day 5 / charter bus

9.30 depart for Basilica de Estrala
10.00h – 11.20 tour Basilica (possibly Roof terrace for those who want) + Jardim de Estrela
11.30 – 12.20 Private Historical tram “Estrela - Martim Moniz”
walk to Bonjardim for lunch
12.30-14.00 Lunch at Bonjardim
walk through Praca do Restauradores and Praça Dom Pedro IV
charter bus to Gulbenkian
14.45—16.45 Gulbenkian museum (90-120min)
17.00h hotel / rest / change
18.30-21.00h dinner at Ramiro (seafood)
21.30 arrive at the hotel


day 6 / charter bus to SINTRA

9.15 depart
10.15 drop off at National Palace parking, walk to Quinta de Regaileira
10.30-12.15 Quinta de Regaleira (those who cannot walk through the whole garden, rest at the café)
12.30 40-min Horse carriage tour/transfer to Lunch “one stone, two birds” ) (pick up by carriages at Quinta’s exit)
13.10h drop off close to the restaurant Tacho Real
13.10-14.30h Lunch at Tacho real
walk through Sintra to National Palace
15.00-16.15h National Palace tour (POSSIBLY interiors) OR Sintra village souvenier shopping/pastires
16.15-17.00h transfer to Cabo da Roca
17.00-17.45 Cabo da Roca
18.30 -20.30 dinner at Bar do Fundo (Oceanview + birthday party to celebrate 83 birthday!)
21.30/22.00h- arrive at the hotel
*** I won’t tell the ladies about the possible National Palace tour and play it by ear. IF we have enough time and energy, then stop for an hour at the Palace. IF too tired, then souvenirs and depart for Cabo da Roca sooner.


day 7 / charter bus

9.30 depart for Lisbon cathedral
Cathedral (short tour), short tour of Alfama,
either walk OR bus to Gloria Funicular OR drive to Church of Sao Roque
Sao Roque chapel (tour, no museum)
walk to Conven Carmo (short tour, just to see the remarkable impact of the earthquake. Japan is familiar with earthquakes *_*)
walk up to the Elevator Santa Justa observation deck (not taking the elevator because of lines)
walk to the restaurant for lunch
13.00h – 14.30 LUNCH ?? Fabulas café?? / restaurant Sacramento / Cervejaria Tindade/ Mar ao Carmo
14.30 free time for shopping in Baixa area? OR drop off at Corte Igles near the hotel
17.30h pick up by bus to the hotel (those who decide to shop in Baixa -Chiado area)
rest
19.30 transfer to Parreirinha de Alfama restaurant
20.00 h-23.00 dinner w/Fado (show starts around 9pm)
23.30 return to hotel
***Is it acceptable to leave Fado restaurant before the end of their program? I mean during a break in singing. Just in case the ladies start dozing off.


day 8 / charter bus

*** Can’t find the perfect time to add Praca do Comercio, so placing it on this day, but it kind of disrupts the flow.
9.00 depart for Belem via Praca do Comercio
photo-stop at Praca do Comercio
10.15 -11.00 Coach Museum
11.15- 11.45 Discovery (elevator up if no lines)
12.00 Belem Tower (exterior only)
12.30 -14.00 Lunch O Recanto
bus to Monastery Jeronimos
14.30-16.00 Monastery
16.00-17.00 Pastel de Belem (coffee break).
17.30 arrive at the hotel
rest / dress up
19.30 farewell dinner at Tagide restaurant
22.30/23.00h arrive at the hotel


day 9 /

8.30/9.00 transfer to the airport for the 11.40h flight.


Thank you for any feedback!

Maribel

minamax,
I'd encourage you have that the bus for your Porto wanderings, given your group's size/age and the length of walking day 2.
Porto really is an extremely hilly city. It's not the distance but the ups and downs. Could you perhaps choose a lunch spot in Gaia that a bus could reach?

Since you're going to Clérigos Tower for outside, I'd also view the gorgeously Baroque church interior and sit for a few minutes to admire it, since you'll miss the organ concert. For the art lovers, Clérigos church may be far more rewarding than the Lello visit, since the bookshop gets so incredibly crowded with tourists, and there's little room to move about.
If you're staying at the Intercontinental, the immediate area isn't so hilly, but it's very hard to be in Porto (or Lisbon or Coimbra) and avoid climbs.
I assume you plan to use multiple taxis to get the group to the Barão Fladgate for dinner in Gaia.

In Lisbon your hotel H10 Duque de Loulé is not in the flat, downtown Baixa area but way up, near the top of Avenida da Liberdade, 3 or so blocks to the east, so it's great that you have the bus there for moving about Lisbon.

For the Jerónimos Monastery, even in the late afternoon, to save time, I'd purchase those Monastery tickets either inside the adjacent Archaeological Museum (ticket machines for Monastery ticket--no need for a joint ticket), the building to the left of the Monastery, or at the AskMe Lisboa ticket booth in the park across from the Monastery. Unless your guide has devised a way to get them beforehand.

Lunch on day 7, I'd rate the atmospheric Fábulas Cafe & the Sacramento higher food wise, but the ladies will probably want to see the beautiful tile panels at the Cervejaria Trinidade, the oldest Cervejaria in Portugal and a former monastery. The Cervejaria for me is more about the décor than the food (but I haven't eaten there lately). It's quite large and accommodates groups easily.
*

minamax10

Thank you Maribel! A lot of great advice and comments!

yes, i've been rethinking not having a bus on day 2, so reading what you wrote made my resolve stronger. I think becuase we include going to Gaia on htat day, it would be better to have the bus for the transfers that don't add much in terms of seeing something unique and worthy of exploring on foot (ex. Sao Bento station to the Cathedral).

on day 4 though, I think i want to manage preordering taxis for the two short rides (Ribeira to restaurant eLeBe restaurant // retaurant to capela das Almas). I think it should be alriright.

"For the art lovers, Clérigos church may be far more rewarding than the Lello visit, since the bookshop gets so incredibly crowded with tourists, and there's little room to move about." I've been rethinking doing lunch on the Gaia side. I am sure Taberninha do Manuel is great, but I've been having difficulties working out the exact menu for the group. (In general, I feel that restaurants in Portugal try to take advantage of groups, so it's more challenging for me than in other countries we've visited.) So, now I am considering doing the area around the hotel in the morning on Day 2 including LUNCH and then gong to Gaia just for the views:

9.30h Square Liberdade > Carmo/Carmelitas church & Hidden house (tour inside) > Bookstore Lello (short stop, group fast pass)> Clerigos Tower and the organ recital at 12.00h > BUS to the restaurant Brasão Cervejaria Coliseu Baixa (Francesina) > LUNCH > BUS to Sao Bento station (inside) > BUS to Porto Cathedral > walk across the bridge > funicular to Gaia > Half rabbit > waterfront > pick up by BUS at lower level of the bridge > BUS to the hotel
Rest / dress up: TAXI to Barao Fladgate and back to the hotel by Taxi too.
How does this look?

Will keep your advice in mind for Jeronimous monastery.

Lunch on Day 7. yes, the Cervejaria Trinidade's ratings are not that great. Mostly it's the visual impact. It's still an option, but I am still looking. Another place I came across is the Mar ao Carmo -- perhaps for the cataplana seafood stew. Any thoughts on this one?

Maribel

minamax,
I think Day 2 looks better.

Day 7,
Yes, it's mostly the visual impact of the Cervejaria Trinidade, at least for me. We did stop by to peek in at the tile panels but moved elsewhere for dinner. I haven't dined at Mar ao Carmo. They do have an outdoor terrace on the square, so perhaps they could accommodate your group there. I don't know if you're planning set menus at your dining spots. Nearby there's also Aqui Há Peixe that also offers a cataplana. ROSA - An Exquisite Restaurant Wordpress Theme

minamax10

Thank you, Maribel. I'll check out all of those restaurants again.