Mafra

UNESCO Sites

First stop will be Azenhas do Mar, a scenic village on the coast built in the "Portuguese Soft Style". Continue along the coast, passing by steep cliffs and wild beaches. Arrive in Ericeira, a village known for its blue and white buildings, as well as its lively food scene. Enjoy free time to explore the village at your own pace and have lunch. After lunch, head to Jose Franco, a working village and open-air museum that showcases the traditional culture and handicrafts of the área. End your tour with a visit to the magnificent Palace of Mafra, a masterpiece from the eighteenth century and one of the most important buildings in the Portuguese Baroque style. The palace is home to 92 bells, 1200 rooms, and over 4,700 doors and windows. It also hosts the oldest library in Portugal with about 36,000 volumes. Enjoy a tour of the site with your dedicated guide, who will share interesting facts and stories about the monument.

Choose your own adventure with an expert guide and embark on an exciting day trip from Lisbon. Allow your guide to suggest the best locations and restaurants and design your journey to suit your wishes.  Perhaps make a visit to Mafra Palace, an impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a magnificent library, or discover the stunning World Surfing Reserve of Ericeira on the western coast of Portugal. Embark on a train tour through an enchanting forest or visit the charming village of José Franco. Discover delicious Portuguese cuisine along the way and customize your experience with your guide as you go.

Your private half-day tour will begin with a pick up from your Lisbon hotel or cruise port. The objective of the day will be to show you Mafra, with it's 18th century national palace and it's surrounding park, also classified as a national monument. As this is a private tour, you will have the freedom to rearrange your tour how you see fit. Below is the standard itinerary: After your pick up at 8:30, we will proceed directly to Mafra, where we will arrive after a 45-minute drive. Our first stop will be at the center of Mafra, where we can visit the Palace and Basilica (approximately 1.5-h for the whole visit). After that, depending on the season and the available program, the tour proceeds to Tapada, a park on the back of the palace that served as hunting grounds for the King and Royal family, where you can freely visit and see all the animals that live there in the wild or you can see a show of Falconry, an art developed by the Portuguese which is considered Immaterial World Heritage by the Unesco. After the visit to the tapada, we will return to Lisbon passing by Sintra for an overview of the Palaces and main monuments of the village, and if time allows it some breathtaking landscapes on the coast nearby. Optionally you can book an additional 2-hours for a tasty seafood lunch at one of the nearby beach restaurants, allowing also more time to return to Lisbon by the coastline, a route always preferred due to it's scenic beauty, of which is considered to be our little Côte d'Azur.