Things to do in

Batalha

Benefit from pick-up in Lisbon city center, and then take a scenic drive to the shrine of Fatima. Learn more about the important Catholic pilgrimage site before going to the Gothic convent at Batalha. Admire the Manueline style of architecture typical of Portugal in the 16th century, and then enjoy a delicious lunch of regional food. Next, visit the beautiful seaside resort of Nazaré, popular with surfers and water sports fans. See the statue of the black Virgin Mary by Saint Joseph and look at the colorful fishing boats on the sandy beach from the top of the rock. Try some of the sweet cherry liqueur known as ginja in the medieval village of Obidos, and soak up the fairytale atmosphere of the cobbled paths and small medieval houses. Browse the handicraft stores along narrow streets, and then journey back to Lisbon through the lovely landscapes of central Portugal.

Follow in the footsteps of Catholic pilgrims on a full-day sightseeing tour of Central Portugal from Lisbon. Transfer from the Portuguese capital, and drive through a vast variety of landscapes. Your first stop will be the extraordinary town of Fátima, where an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before 3 children every month between May 1917 and October 1917. Now one of the major shrines of the Catholic faith, the complex contains the tombs of 2 of the young shepherd children, the crown of the Virgin in the Chapel of the Apparitions, and a section of the Berlin Wall (said to be a tribute to God’s part in the fall of communism) . Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant (own expense) far from the tourist crowds, and get a taste for authentic Portuguese food. Continue to the fishing port of Nazaré for panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Popular with surfers, Nazaré was the site of a 79-foot wave, surfed by Garrett McNamara in 2011. Finally, tour the picturesque town of Óbidos, taken from the Muslims in 1148. Forming part of the dowry of numerous Portuguese queens, Óbidos maintains its medieval feel inside the old city walls, with cobblestone streets and flower-bedecked houses.

Take a full-day, multi-city tour that brings you to some of Portugal's most popular medieval and 20th-century architectural and religious marvels, beginning in Lisbon and ending in Fátima. Depart from Lisbon by bus at 9:00 and head to Óbidos, the 'wedding present town'. This is the town that King Dinis gave to his bride, Queen Isabel, on their wedding day in 1282. This romantic village is surrounded by the 45-foot-high walls of a medieval Moorish castle, the famous Pousada do Castelo. Stop for lunch in colorful Nazaré, a traditional Portuguese fishing village. If time permits, head to Sítio to enjoy a beautiful view of the beach and ocean. Then, kick off the afternoon with a trip to Batalha Monastery, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, with beautiful stained-glass windows and the Manueline-style Royal Cloister. Arrive at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, a center of Catholic faith and globally recognized pilgrimage destination. Housed in the Basilica are the tombs of Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta, peasant children who, despite threats, never denied witnessing the apparition of Mary. The heart of the shrine is in the Chapel of Apparitions. Schedule permitting, you can attend Mass. Afterwards, you will return to Lisbon on a route that takes you through a rich agricultural region.

Following a pick-up at your hotel in Lisbon, you’ll travel in an air-conditioned, 8-seat vehicle to the Fatima Sanctuary. Learn about the miracle of the apparition of the Virgin to local shepherd children in 1917.  Next, your 8-hour tour moves west to the coast, with a stop at Batalha to visit the Batalha Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most fascinating Gothic monuments in Europe. King John I of Portugal built the monastery to give thanks to the Virgin Mary over a battle against Spanish troops in 1385. After lunch, you’ll visit Sítio, a clifftop village that offers some of the best views in Portugal. From high on the cliffs surrounding Nazaré, you’ll learn about the legend of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré. The statue of Our Lady of Nazaré is one of the oldest Christian art pieces. Continuing on, you’ll fall in love with the colorful, romantic village of Obidos. Its winding streets and medieval structures, castle walls and handicraft shops make this stop the highlight of the trip for many people. You’ll have the opportunity here to taste the typical liquor of this region known as ginjinha, or simply ginja.

Leaving from your hotel in Lisbon, this tour is for the devout as well as for those who love the history of Portugal. Fátima is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world, and it will be your first stop so that you may visit the site where Our Lady of Fátima appeared in 1917 to the three shepherd children. You will also visit the Basilica, where Francisco, Jacinta Marto and Lúcia are buried, the Igreja da Santíssima Trindade (Church of the Holy Trinity), the largest Catholic sanctuary and the Capela das Aparições (Chapel of the Apparitions).  The tour continues to breathtaking and rural Batalha where the monastery awaits you. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that celebrates the Battle of Aljubarrota and is the best example of Gothic architecture in Portugal with traces of Manueline architecture. Alcobaça is a city not to be missed by those who wish to feel the hospitality that is so intrinsic to this coast and a visit to the Alcobaça Monastery, one of the most visited and best preserved monuments in the country. The tombs of Prince Pedro and Inês de Castro are located here as a tribute to the greatest Portuguese romantic tragedy.  After lunch you will go on to Óbidos, a town for queens until 1883 and perhaps why it has maintained a romantic and picturesque setting that has been so well preserved over the centuries. Afterwards with the sunsetting behind you, head back  to your hotel in Lisbon.

Travel by air-conditioned minivan to Fátima and learn why millions of pilgrims make their way to the sanctuary each year. Continue to Batalha to see some of the best 14th-century architecture in Portugal, including the monastery built in commemoration of the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota. Next, go to the charming seaside town of Nazaré and savor some fresh fish at lunch (own expense). Take a scenic coastal drive through São Martinho do Porto and the Óbidos Lagoon en route to the medieval walled village of Óbidos. Stroll around the cobbled streets and taste some authentic ginjinha (cherry liqueur).

Make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Fátima and see the homes of the 3 little shepherds who saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Learn the story of the miracle and get some free time to explore the basilicas and chapel by yourself. Next, visit Batalha Monastery and marvel at the largest Gothic monument in Portugal. Hear the history of the building and learn the legend of Henry the Navigator who helped put the nation on the map. Continue to Alcobaça Monastery, founded by the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, in 1153. Hear the tragic story of King Pedro I and his beloved Inês de Castro, murdered on the orders of his father. Get stunning views from the beach at Nazaré and the clifftop village of Sítio. Enter the basilica of Our Lady of Nazaré to look at the famous black statue of the Virgin. End with a visit to the village of Óbidos and taste a typical cherry liqueur. Stroll the medieval streets of the village or walk up to the historical castle.

Your tour begins with hotel pick-up in Lisbon before departing for Fátima, home to one of the largest shrines in the world, which attracts more than 5 million visitors each year. Once there, visit the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, a modern church completed in 2007. Then, stop and take your pick of religious articles or other products to get blessed at your next stop, the sanctuary. The Sanctuary is where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared and left 3 messages to the small shepherd: the end of the First World War, the end of Communism, and the attack on Pope John Paul the Second. After the sanctuary, you’ll continue your visit to the Monastery of Batalha, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This impressive convent was built by King John I of Portugal to thank the Virgin Mary following the battle of Aljubarrota against Spanish troops on the 14 August 1385 Next, visit Nazaré, near the ocean. Relax as you admire the wonderful beach, charming fishermen’s houses, and amazing cliffs over the Atlantic Ocean. Feel free to visit the top of the cliff, where the famous Nazaré legend took place. After lunch, continue with a visit to the village of Óbidos. A major center of Portugal’s historical heritage, the town is home to amazing churches and historic castle walls along its perimeter. Then it’s back to your hotel in Lisbon, where this day of fascinating cultural and religious history will end.

After pick-up at your accommodation in Lisbon you start the day by going to Fátima, one of the most important centers of pilgrimage in the world and where the Miracle of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fátima happened. You will have free time to visit the shrines or the village. You will spend the rest of the day discovering the magnificent monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça, the fishing village of Nazaré (where star surfer McNamara beat world records) and the enchanting medieval village of Óbidos where you will taste the original “Ginjinha” liquor. Your guide will show you the unique secrets of each place.

Enjoy the convenience of being picked up at your hotel in Lisbon and then being driven directly to the Sanctuary of Fatima. See the Chapel of the Apparitions, which stands at the center of the sanctuary. The Chapel was originally constructed by local villagers shortly after the 3 shepherd children first saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. Admire the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, a gorgeous Neo-Baroque structure built in 1928 that houses the tombs of the children including Sister Lucia. Enter the modern and stark Basilica of Santissima Trindade. Designed by Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, this impressive Basilica is over 40,000 square meters and can seat 8,000 people. Visit the Batalha Monastery, a stunning masterpiece of Gothic architecture with splashes of the Manueline style. Look up at the monastery's many exquisite stained glass windows. Witness the kaleidoscopic effect of the colored light reflecting upon the church’s columns. Pause at the resting place of some of Portugal’s most famous nobility. Stand among the unfinished buttresses of the Imperfect Chapel. Stroll through the beautiful fishing village of Nazaré, a scenic seaside town dotted with pictureque churches and traditional homes. Nazaré was made famous in recent years when in 2013 American surfer Garret McNamara broke the record for surfing the highest wave. See the unique traditional fashion’s of the women of Nazaré, known as “the seven skirts.” Take a journey back in time and explore the Medieval Village of Obidos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk down Obidos’ narrow cobblestone streets full of traditional shops and painted white houses. If you're feeling adventurous, climb atop the ramparts that surround the town. Afterward, drive back to your hotel in Lisbon.