Church of St. Francis, Evora

Set off on your full-day tour from Lisbon and discover one of the most scenic parts of Portugal's countryside. Make your way through Alentejo with its magnificent plains filled with olive trees, vineyards, and cork oaks. Make your first stop at Évora, a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the most beautifully preserved medieval towns. Take a guided tour inside the Roman Temple, one of the best preserved Roman structures on the Iberian Peninsula. Your guide will also show you around the must-see Chapel of Bones. Take time to admire the ornate architecture of the Cathedral of Évora. Your second stop will be the graceful medieval village of Monsaraz, one of the oldest in Portugal and built within the walls of a castle. Taste one of the best wines in Portugal with the views of one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe. At the end of a full day of sightseeing, return to Lisbon.  Treat yourself and your family or friends to a private experience with pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Lisbon, Cascais, or Ericeira. Alternatively, you can opt for a small-group experience and meet your guide outside one of two central hotels.

Explore the rich history of Évora, a historic city of the Alentejo, on a full-day self-guided tour from Lisbon. Founded by the Romans in 57 BC, Évora possesses a rich and extensive cultural heritage that has been preserved through the ages. Learn about its conquest by the Moors, whose influence can still be seen in much of the city center. Explore the period of the Manueline Favour when Jesuits founded the university in 1559. Along the way, see an outstanding megalithic archaeological site, one of the most ancient in Europe. Marvel at the magnificent landscapes en route to the Roman Temple in the UNESCO-classified historic city center. Visit the Cathedral of Évora, built after the city was re-conquered from the Arabs in the 12th century. An undoubted highlight of your day will be a visit to the Capela dos Ossos. Go to the small, interior chapel next to the Church of St. Francis and enter rooms decorated with carefully arranged human bones and skulls held together by cement.

Go back in time and visit the 1st century Roman Temple and the Evora Cathedral. Explore the São Francisco Church that houses the chilling Chapel of Bones and find out what gave the city the UNESCO World Heritage status on this guided walking tour with a local expert. Enjoy free time for lunch and then head to Arraiolos, a sunny village that developed on the side of the castle. Known for its embroidered rugs with centuries of history, the rugs are handmade by embroiderers in a tradition that has been passed down over 500 years. You will learn to embroider your own Arraiolos rug step by step with a local embroiderer. In the workshop, you will be given the kit with all the necessary material to start your rug and help from your guide and the embroiderer, whilst gaining some insider knowledge about the region. Trip Itinerary • Departure at 8:30 at Hotel/Accommodation in Lisbon • Visit the Roman Temple • Visit the Cathedral of Evora • Visit the Praça do Giraldo (Giraldo Square) • Visit the Chapel of Bones • Learn to embroider your own arraiolos rug step by step with a local embroiderer • Visit the Arraiolos rugs Interpretive Center • Visit the Arraiolos Castle • Return to Lisbon

This tour will take you to Évora, a world heritage site, where medieval streets, palaces and beautifull tipical Portuguese houses coexist. Start the tour heading South, crossing over the 25th April bridge at Lisbon, also known as the Golden Gate replica and use the opurtunity to visit the iconic Christ King. On arrival at Évora, beside the Historical Centre, there are nearby a lot of interesting points to visit, such as Evora's Roman Temple, the Cathedral, Saint Francis church, King Manuel Royal Palace, the local market and one of the most famous and iconic places, the Chapel of Bones. On this customizable full-day private tour, you will be able to choose the itinerary and also what to visit in depth or briefly, within the full-day tour (8 hours) restriction. After geting to know Evora as a local, leave the walls and enjoy the oportunity of visiting a regional wine cellar, experiencing the vines, history and production, ending the day in a delightful way with an olive oil and wine tasting.

Join your guide as you explore the historical treasures of Evora which have survived for centuries. See the cathedral, one of Evora's top attractions, built between 1186 and 1204. Discover the Roman Temple, one of the best preserved Roman monuments on the Iberian Peninsula. Explore the Praca do Giraldo, the town's lively main square, and visit the historical university founded in 1559. See St. Francis Church with its Bone Chapel, the local market, and Portugal's famous cork products, such as bags, shoes, and wallets.

Take advantage of a convenient pick-up at your hotel and hit the road to Évora from Lisbon. Enjoy a flexible itinerary that can be tailored to your needs as you explore the local sights. Visit the Cortiçarte, a cork factory, and learn about the process of stripping and transforming cork. See the Roman Temple, known as the Tempo Diana, and explore one of the symbols of the Roman occupation of Portugal. See the medieval Cathedral of Évora, built on the foundations of a Muslim mosque. Stand at Giraldo Square, a site of religious public penance during the Inquisition. Discover São Francisco Church, built in the 15th and 16th centuries to replace an earlier Gothic temple. Marvel at one of the more macabre local sights, The Chapel of Bones.

Day 1 Depart from Lisbon, heading to Evora in the Alentejo region by crossing the beautiful suspension bridge. Admire the city and the monument to Christ-King. Evora is a place where different civilizations have thrived and the evidence still remains. See the ancient "Temple of Diana" built in the Roman period, along with the magnificent aqueduct of "Agua da Prata."  Built further in the 11th and 12th centuries by the Arabs, Evora was the residence of Portuguese kings and a point of convergence for renowned artists that were supported by the patronage and dynasty reigning in Portugal. This period of discovery created a wealth in Evora that saw the construction of numerous aristocratic mansions of the city, such as the Jesuit university. The highlight, however, is the Church of San Francisco and the Bones Chapel, clothed with skulls and bones of 500 monks. See next the medieval village of Monsaraz, its narrow stone streets and houses painted white adding special charm to this place and its inhabitants. Later, arrive in Albufeira where you will spend the night. This historic center has a traditional atmosphere, whitewashed houses and narrow cobbled streets filled with cafes, shops, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Day 2 Depart to Lagos. In the middle of the 16th century, Lagos was the great base of support for the Discoveries, and the evidence of this is highly visible. See the Sagres Fortress where cannons, a 16th century tower and the Church of Our Lady of Grace and a beautiful sundial await your discovery. After, visit the nearby Fortress of “Cabo de Sao Vicente” which was built in the 16th century to protect the coast from the Moorish attacks. Return to Albufeira to spend the night. Day 3 On the return trip to Lisbon you will stop of a the town of Sesimbra to visit its Moorish Castle on the hillside north of the village. Classified as a national monument in 1910, it is now one of the most visited sites in the county. Down in the bay, you will visit the Maritime Museum of Sesimbra where you will learn the connection of this village to the sea and the history of its local fishermen. Enjoy here a 3D movie that will transport you back in time to medieval times and beyond. Continue on to Setubal downtown where you can find stores for all tastes, whether global department stores or niche local antiquities. Most of the streets here converge to “Praça do Bocage,” Setubal´s local meeting point. Lined with esplanades and dedicated to one of the greatest figures of Portuguese poetry, this statue with its eyes fixed on the sea is the landmark of this busy square. Return to Lisbon.

Relax and enjoy the safety of a private tour. Meet your guide at your hotel lobby and travel from Lisbon to Évora in a comfortable vehicle. Go back in time and find out what gave the city the UNESCO World Heritage status. Visit the Roman Temple, the Evora Cathedral and Giraldo Square. Also, discover the São Francisco Church that houses the chilling Chapel of Bones. Enjoy free time for lunch. Then, visit the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation (Adega Cartuxa) to take a guided tour to the winery and have a wine tasting. Alentejo is one of the most extensive regions in the south of Portugal recognized for the production of large, ripe, and fruity red wines.

Explore Lisbon's surroundings and discover two other beautiful Portuguese cities. Visit Evora and explore a museum city which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Marvel at the Diana Temple, once the city's landmark, and explore Portugal's largest medieval cathedral, the Se Cathedral. At the St. Francis Church, take a look inside the famous Bone Chapel. Then head to the town of Arraiolos, which owes its name to the world-famous Arraiolos Tapestries. Learn all about the origin, history, methods and manufacturing techniques of the famous tapestries in the Arraiolos Tapestries Interpretive Center.