This is how it feels to be royalty. Funded by centuries of discovery and empire, Portugal has more regal grandeur than any other country we know. Of course, the great cities of Lisbon and Porto are rich with imperial landmarks. Your  hotels  here  are  some  of  the  most  splendiferous  anywhere.  But  Portugal  also  has  more  hours of sunshine a year than any other European  country, perfect  for  exploring.  So you'll taste the country’s treasured port wines on walks in the mountainous vineyards where they’re born. On a glorious coastal trail, you’ll face the churning surf that Henry the Navigator conquered to explore Africa and the New World. And you’ll come face to face with the Portuguese people from cork artisans to winemakers. You’ll get a true feel for the unique tempo and personality of this kingdom by the sea.

DAYS 1-2 - LISBON / SINTRA
We meet in Lisbon, one of Europe’s most colorful capitals, with its pastel buildings and red roofs. On a guided walk, we’ll see the city’s landmarks, including Belém Tower, and Jerónimos Monastery. Our luxury hotel in Sintra (2 nights) sits in a national park and is the perfect jumping-off point for an exploration of Pena National Palace.

DAYS 3-4 - ÉVORA  
On a morning walk, we follow dinosaur footprints for beautiful coastal views. You know Stonehenge. And likely you’ve heard that quite a few people visit it on any given day. So you might have wondered what it would be like to have it to yourself. Happily, you can have that sort of experience with us today, as we visit the finest Neolithic stone formation on the Iberian Peninsula where we explore standing stones more than 8,000 years old. From our convent-turned-five star hotel in Évora (2 nights), we enjoy a nature walk along Aqueduct de l'Agua de Prata, before visiting a working cork factory. Later, we savor a wine tasting and picnic under cork wood trees.

DAYS 5-7 - DOURO VALLEY / PORTO
Heading north, the Douro Valley (2 nights) is Portugal’s lushest region, and we’ll take full advantage. We start our day exploring a beautifully-sited castle before we visit with a clay artisan in his workshop. Later in the day, we’re invited to the former town hall, where our hosts are waiting for us with a mouth-watering selection of the local cheeses, wines, sausages, breads and jams. Next day begins with a scenic cruise on the Douro River in a traditional Portuguese Rabelo boat and ends with a walk among vineyards followed by a wine tasting and picnic of local specialties. On our final day, we visit the seaside city of Porto, where Port wine originated, to take in the sights and meet local fishermen.