Iberian Romance Portugal, Morocco & Spain

Itinerary

Land Program

DAY 1 - 6 December 2025

After flying into the Lisbon airport, you will be met outside of customs and transferred to the Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel, an urban oasis tucked away on a hilltop in one of Lisbon’s most exclusive neighborhoods. Check in is 3pm and while every effort will be made to have rooms available earlier, this cannot be guaranteed.

You will spend the remainder of the day settling in and enjoying the amenities of this luxurious resort, which was once the private residence of the Count of Valencas. Lapa Palace Hotel is conveniently located within easy reach of Lisbon’s attractions, if you wish to explore the city or shop on your own before retiring for the evening.

Your river and garden-view room in the hotel’s garden wing will have a balcony that presents views of Lisbon’s downtown, the Tagus River and the hotel pool and garden.

DAY 2 - 7 December 2025

Enjoy breakfast before boarding a ‘tuk tuk’ (motorized rickshaw with three wheels) and embarking on a scenic drive towards the Belem Quarter, where you can admire the Monument of Discoveries, the Tower of Belém and Jeronimos Monastery. Continuing to downtown Lisbon, you will pass lovely Liberdade Avenue, the elegant shopping area of Chiado and the heart of the commercial area, Praça do Comércio and Alfama.

Note: each tuk tuk has a local driver and seats for four guests. This mode of transport enables guests to see some of the narrow streets in the city’s most typical neighborhoods.

Alfama takes its name from the Arabic Al-hamma, meaning fountains or baths. It contains many important historical attractions and traditional Fado restaurants along its narrow and winding streets. The medieval Castle of São Jorge overlooks the Alfama and offers one of the best views of the city.

One of the highlights of this comprehensive city tour is visiting the Lisbon Cathedral, also known as the Sé. Although it looks like a medieval fortress, the interior is glorious and includes the font where St. Anthony of Padua was supposedly baptized in the 12th century.

By midday, you will return to the hotel to spend the afternoon at your leisure, or you may remain in the city center and return on your own.

The entertainment for the evening will be in the Café Luso. Here, you will enjoy a traditional Portuguese dinner and watch a Fado show. Fado is Portuguese folk music that is melancholy by nature and usually played on guitars and mandolins. The lyrics tend to be poetic and involve themes such as love and sadness.

Following this authentic cultural experience, you will return to the hotel.

DAY 3 - 8 December 2025

After departing from the hotel, you will pass through some of Portugal’s most inspiring countryside on the way to Mafra. Here, at the revered Palace of Mafra, which was constructed of local limestone and marble in the 18th century, you will behold priceless art and period furnishings that were characteristic of the royal lifestyle. At one time, the palace also served as a Franciscan monastery.

After visiting the extraordinary palace, you will continue even deeper into the countryside to the Adega Mãe, home to approximately 40 hectares of vineyards with a production capacity of somewhere near 1,5 million liters per year. In its cellar, white, red and rosé wines are produced. The productive infrastructure is equipped with modern and sophisticated machinery, combining cutting-edge technology and traditional approach.

While touring this modern and architecturally innovative vineyard, you will get to know the white and red wine presses, the grandeur of the storage and fermentation tanks. Take a peek into the laboratory and visit the Time Room (“Sala do tempo”), where aromas combine with the scent of French Oak barrels; witness the repose of their Reserva, and finish things off with a tasting while you take in the views of the vineyard.

Following lunch at the winery, you will return to the hotel along a spectacularly scenic coastal route. The remainder of the day and dinner will be on your own to enjoy as you please.

Following lunch at the winery, you will return to the hotel along a spectacularly scenic coastal route. The remainder of the day and dinner will be on your own to enjoy as you please.

DAY 4 - 9 December 2025

After departing from the hotel, you will drive to Sintra, a beautiful town nestled in the forested foothills of the Sintra mountains. Your experience here begins with free time to wander about the atmospheric streets, enjoy the sweeping views and thoroughly relax.

Not far away, you will find Pena Palace, a landmark that was built in the 19th century to be a royal summer home. Inside and out, it looks like an eccentric mix of different castle styles and features. Now hailed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Portugal’s Seven Wonders, the flamboyant palace exemplifies 19th-century Romantic architecture, inside and out.

Following your tour of Pena Palace, you will return to Lisbon and embark the cruise ship.