Last Updated on March 17, 2023 by PowersToTravel
The first trip of the year was the budget-busting tour of Norway and Svalbard. So, for the second trip, I searched for a budget-affordable trip. Ultimately, I arranged for five nights in Lisbon and a three night excursion on the MyWayTours‘ “Historic Villages” itinerary. For two of the days in Lisbon I arranged for private day excursions to locations outside the city, with MyWayTours as well, but close enough to stay in the city, to reduce our costs.
On the first day we went on a tour to Cascais, Cabo Roca, Sintra, Pena Castle, as well as the Palace of Queluz.
On the second day out we went to Mafra Palace, Óbidos and the Monasterio de Alcobaça.
Then, with the same agency, we went on the countryside tour, “Historical Villages and its Castles“, with an added overnight in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Évora.
Sortelha
I chose Carla Carita, of My Way Tours, a local agency. We saw so much during our event-packed days. Carla was conscientious and very knowledgeable. One might think that because the Portuguese language looks like Spanish one might be able to get by. Oh no, not true at all. Spoken Portuguese is a true mystery. If we had stayed only in the city we would have had no issues. But with our desire to get out into the countryside, we were very grateful to have Carla assisting with the hotels and restaurants, magically digging up guides for museums which were otherwise closed, introducing us to bifanas (hint – it’s a food!), and lastly, but certainly not least, her in-depth historical knowledge.
When to go and why?
We chose to visit Lisbon Sep 9 to 17. Our decision was based on our desire to avoid crowds, hopefully cut the heat slightly, yet still enjoy the warmth of the summer season. The weather was fantastic, and the temperatures were just right for us. Lisbon itself in this beginning of the shoulder-season was very busy, but I’m sure not as busy as it is during the family-vacation summer months.
