Day tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Lisbon tour 2 + Queluz, Sintra, Mouth of Hell, Estoril full day
Personalized booking
Program
In the morning:
A drive across the bridge 25 Abril. Belem historical quarter: stop in Belem fortress (jewl of manueline art), stop in the Monument dedicated to the
Portuguese Discoveries, visit to the church of Jeronimos Monastery (greatest sample of Manueline art) and the Coach Musem (the best coach collection
in the world). Jeronimos church and coach museum are closed on Mondays, both replaced by Ajuda palace. Alfama: walk through the most ancient and
picturesque section of Lisbon. Praça do Comercio: the biggest and most beautiful square in Lisbon. Baixa-Rossio: center of town. Liberdade avenue,
Marques de Pombal square, return to terminal. Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon:
Queluz: Palace of the 18th century with French influence from Versailles (visit the palace and its gardens. Closed on Tuesdays, replaced by Sintra palace).
Sintra: free time in the tipycal village historical center. Mouth of Hell (Boca do Inferno): cave carved by the ocean, stop. Cascais: view of the fishing
harbour. Estoril: cosmopolitan center with the biggest Casino in Europe: stop.
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...Lisbon’s history dates back to 300,000 years ago and ranks as one of the world's longest founded cities. As the legend
tells, it is a city founded and named by Ulysses, which has its origins in the Phoenician words "Allis Ubbo", meaning
"enchanting port". Lisbon was a battlefield for Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, however it was Romans who
started their two-century reign in Lisbon in 205 BC. In 714, the Moors arrived and stayed till the 12th century. In the
13th century, Lisbon became the capital of Portugal. The 15th century was the point of departure for the Portuguese
Discoveries, an era during which Portugal enjoyed abundant wealth and prosperity through its newly discovered off
shore colonies in Africa, the Americas and Asia. Today, Lisbon still maintaining the marks of its early history, is one of
the most beautiful capitals of Europe...
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... Described by Lord Byron as “Glorious Eden,” Sintra’s charms have long been celebrated. Once the summer residence
of the kings and Moorish lords, today Sintra is a romantic getaway for people from all around the world. Inhabited since
the pre-history period and by Celts and the Romans who called this area “The Mountain of the Moon”. In the 8th to 9th
century, Muslims built a castle here. During Medieval times, the Portuguese royal family, overflowing with the pomp and
riches from their colonial triumphs abroad, first came here to escape the heat (and stench) of the summer in Lisbon.
Beginning in the 14th century, the Portuguese aristocrats followed the royals to Sintra, a dwelling place for hunting and
relaxing. Stormy and mysterious, the mountain is covered by more than 1000 different species of plants. Several artists
from different countries came here to work, inspired in the beauty of this place, extolling its beauty: “The Garden of
Paradise”, “Garden of Europe”, “Glorious Eden”…
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...One of the most beautiful parts of the Estoril Coast is a succession of hills dotted with pine trees and houses, sweeping
down to the sea and the local villages with their typical houses and the old palatial villas along the sea front. Villas from
the Roman period have been excavated and inscriptions found of family names, names of the Gods they worshipped and
names chosen for their sons. Cascais became a lookout for Lisbon in the great maritime era of discovering new worlds.
It was the first place the navigators saw when they returned from long and adventurous voyages seeking their homeland.
It was in Cascais during the latter part of the XIX century, that the Royal Family first began to bathe. It was a custom
which was becoming popular in Europe and Cascais was an ideal place owing to its mild climate. Over the years, many
important families have made Cascais into a cosmopolitan town...
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