Portugal

Lisbon Trip

1,980€

Group: 6-10 people

Amount of Walking: 8-10 miles most days

Lisbon is Europe’s new cool capital. It is still reasonably priced with an exploding vegan scene. We will explore Lisbon’s historic neighborhoods and enjoy day trips to Belem, Sintra and Obidos. There will also be free time for you to explore and discover your own finds to share with the group.

This tour will be led by Wendy Werneth, the Nomadic Vegan. Wendy has been to over 110 countries. She has made Lisbon, Portugal her adopted home city, so it must be something special, which she will share with you. You will join a Cooking Class and learn to make veganized Portuguese specialties. There will be a few day trips out of the city. So, if you enjoy shopping, you will have fun seeing all the products made from eco-friendly cork. Lisbon has both a vegan clothing and shoe store. Everyone in our groups the past two years loved the hotel where we stayed, so we have chosen the same place for 2020. It has two vegan breakfast places within a five minute walk.

Hotel: Empire Hotel Lisbon

DAYS 1-2

Arrival, Welcome Dinner, Walking Tour

A transfer on the Airport Bus will be provided for you. It is a short ride and stops across the street from our hotel. You can arrive anytime during the day. Hotel check-in is at 2 pm.

Our Welcome Dinner will be at an “illegal” Chinese Restaurant. Chances are you would never find this place on your own. But, your knowledgeable guide, Wendy, will take you there to enjoy some of the most authentic Chinese food in Europe. The dumplings are addictive. And, you will learn about the culture of these interesting restaurants.

The next morning, you will enjoy a walking tour of Lisbon’s most historic neighborhoods. Baixa, the heart of Lisbon, comprises magnificent plazas, wide avenues with lovely architecture and shopping boulevards. Barrio Alto is where Fado can be heard at night. Chiado is the lively shopping theatre district, as well as home to historic monuments, and traditional shops. Get ready to climb a lot of steps and hills before tucking into an included lunch at a vegan restaurant we have chosen for the group. After lunch, you will have a couple of hours free time before joining our optional group dinner.

Arrival Transfer Included
Day 1 Dinner Included
Day 2 Breakfast and Lunch Included

DAYS 3-4

Walking Tour and Cooking Class

The next morning, you will have a walking tour of Alfama, one of the oldest districts of Lisbon. It is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and ancient houses, which lead up the steep hill from Tejo Estuary to the castle. From there, you can stop for lovely views of the sea. After an included lunch, you will have some free time to relax or explore more before joining our optional group dinner.

The next day, we will travel via train to Cascais where you will be picked up and driven to an organic farm overlooking the sea. Here you will participate in a Cooking Class preparing a delicious vegan Portuguese three-course lunch. Most of the ingredients have been grown on this farm. After a walking tour of the farm, the host will explain how she grows the food, and also enjoys a good debate about the benefits and impact that food choices have on our health.

Day 3 Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 4 Breakfast Included
Day 4 Cooking Class Lunch Included

DAYS 5-6

Day Trips to Sintra, Belem

Fado Musical Performance

Your next day’s excursion will be to Sintra, a beautiful town set among pine-covered hills, less than an hour from Lisbon. Sintra is home to several fascinating castles, palaces and historic buildings, making for a wonderfully whimsical excursion. You will visit Pena Palace gardens, Moorish Castle and the mystical gardens of Quinta da Regaleira. In Sintra, you will climb very steep hills aided by a fun tuk tuk ride. There will be an included lunch in Sintra. When you return to Lisbon, you can decide about joining the group for an optional dinner.

The next day will be shorter with a trip to Belem, site of the lovely Jeronimos Monastery, Belem Tower and Monument to the Discoveries–important symbols of Portugal’s seafaring past. You will enjoy an included lunch on the way back to Lisbon. After the optional group dinner, you can decide if you want to experience a Fado (“fate”) performance of traditional Portuguese music, often about sea life or life of the poor.

Day 5 Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 6 Breakfast and Lunch Included
Fado Musical Performance

DAYS 7-9

Obidos, Free Time, Farewell

A one-hour bus ride will take you to the lovely, relaxing town of Obidos, with a chance to walk on its exciting walls, if you dare! This is a charming town with its main attraction being strolling around town. An included vegan lunch will be in Obidos. The optional group dinner will be back in Lisbon because, sadly, Obidos is not vegan-friendly yet for dinner.

The next day will be yours to explore as you wish. You might choose to visit one of Lisbon’s art or history museum, or its azulejos (“small polished stone”) tile museum. You could opt for a walk on the waterfront and go to the Time Out Market to search for gifts. Do not miss Lisbon’s hippest newest neighborhood, LX Factory, where you can find a shop selling vegan shoes. Take time to go into Sapato Verde, a vegan shop for clothing and personal accessories. And, do not miss the wonderful Ingles Café for lunch. You will then return to the hotel and have the opportunity to gather with your fellow travelers for one last optional group dinner.

Our tour will end the next morning after breakfast.

Day 7 Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 8 Breakfast Included
Day 9 Breakfast Included

BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY!

Our tours are lots of fun!

Spaces are limited.

Interspersed with all the sightseeing and activities will be all the most well-loved vegan restaurants in your destination. All the restaurant research will be done for you, so you can have an interesting and exciting vacation, with some time to relax too.

Your tour cost includes hotel (based on single occupancy; no need to share a room unless you want to); meals indicated above; all sightseeing and activities mentioned above; all bus and train transportation between cities; city bus and/or subway transportation; all logistics taken care of for you.

AIRFARE IS NOT INCLUDED.

A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the tour cost, along with a registration form, are required in order to join the tour. You space is not guaranteed until both of these are received.