Live the experience:8 Days Circuit at your own pace in the North of Portugal and Rías Baixas

1. Day. Starting Point - Porto

You can choose between two options to go from the starting point to Porto:

• At your own pace with your own car in which we will go from our place of origin, whatever it is, to Porto, which will be the first stop.
• At your own pace with the option of a rental car in Porto, we will arrive in one of the means of transport that the city facilitates such as the airport (taking the metro at its stop at the airport to the city where we will go to the chosen point), train, bus or the means you deem appropriate, where to pick up the rental vehicle.

We will arrive in Porto and the first thing we do is check-in at the hotel. Depending on the arrival time we can eat, rest or take a walk around the city. If we have the afternoon free it may be a good time to make some visits.

We will take a walk through the old town where we will see the Capela das Almas de Santa Catarina which is one of the most special churches in Porto for its facade with the typical Portuguese white and blue tiles. It was typical in the 18th century, although it was incorporated into this church in the 20th century.

Strolling through the famous Mercado do Bolhão towards Av. Dos Aliados where we will see Câmara Municipal do Porto and we will see different modernist palaces on the avenue.

We will deviate towards the beautiful tower of the clergymen and we will approach the famous Livraria Lello. It is a very luxuriously decorated bookcase in the Art Nouveau style with a large wooden spiral staircase. It is well known especially by Harry Potter fans. The price of the ticket is around € 5 but if you buy a book it is discounted in the price.

Towards the river we can see the Muralha Fernandina or the Casa del Infante, an old customs house with ruins of the old Roman house with some interesting mosaics.

We can finish the walk through the Porto Cathedral and the famous Ponte Luis I bridge where you can dine in the canteens or taverns in the area. If you want to enter the cathedral you have to visit it early, they close at 17:30.

We will spend the first night in the chosen accommodation.

2. Day. Porto - Cruise of the 6 bridges - Wineries

We will have breakfast at the accommodation and we will go to the Barrio da Ribeira next to the river where we will embark on the cruise of the six bridges.

It lasts around 50 minutes and is guided in the language of your choice English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, showing you the history and information about the buildings and bridges of the city through which we will pass.

Crossing the Don Luis I bridge we will find some of the famous Porto wineries in Vila Nova de Gaia.

The first one we find is Porto Cálem but if we continue further on we can see some more famous ones such as Sandeman's where we can learn about its history, the museum and its wines, the Santa Eufemia winery or a little later Ferreira winery or Graham winery among others.

Keep in mind that if you want to buy bottles of wine in the winery, if it is not a very special one, the wineries are usually more expensive than in the markets and the visits are better to book in advance so as not to have to wait in queues or maybe miss out.

To eat we can take advantage of the fact that in the area there are a large number of restaurants with a lot of variety.

After eating and a good rest we can take a walk along the river and go in the direction of the Palace of the Porto Stock Exchange and the Algandega Congress Center which is a congress center in a very special old building where they do various exhibitions that could interest us.

Going up the terraces of the Parque das Virtudes we can find the Soares dos Reis National Museum and the gardens of the Crystal Palace. Depending on the date we visit the palace, we can see rose bushes or tulips in bloom with peacocks in the area.

Finally, and depending on how long we have, we can see the botanical gardens of the natural history museum.

Porto has a lot to see and in two days it is impossible to see everything, it is advisable to take it easy and depending on the time we have to choose the best options. It is better to see some places well than to want to see everything and not enjoy it.

We will enjoy the second night at the hotel

3. Day. Porto - Guimarães - Braga - Viana do Castelo

We have breakfast at the hotel and we will check-out. We will go to Viana do Castelo where we will spend the night passing first through Guimarães.

Guimarães is a beautiful city with several interesting points to see. The highlight is the Castelo de Guimarães, it is a castle very well preserved, it includes the palace ofPaço dos Duques de Bragança and some large gardens in the area.

We can also see the great views that are in the hills of the Penha Park where you can reach it by cable car.

Largo do Toural stands out where you can see charming gardens with a very interesting church and the St. Peter's Basilica. A magnificent old town highly recommended to see.

Once we have seen the city, we will go to Braga, also known as the city of the archbishops.

Before arriving we can take a detour to see Bom Jesus Do Monte, a wonderful sanctuary with unique views of the cities.

Once in the city we can visit its Cathedral and walk through the fountain and the Plaza de la República. A charming place in the city is the Public Gardens of Santa Bárbara with the old Episcopal Palace. Other places to see can be several churches such as Santa Cruz, Palacio do Raio, the Hospital de San Marcos or the Teatro Circo de Braga.

We will take the opportunity to eat in the city with a diverse number of restaurants and taverns with specialties from the area. Once we finish eating we will address Viana do Castelo where we will check-in at the chosen hotel.

After the trip we will take a quiet walk through the town where we can see the Republic Square, the Eiffel Bridge with two levels, Igreja da Misericordia and above all go to the mount of Santa Luzia to see the Santuário do Monte de Santa Luzia.

It is a charming corner where with time you can see different viewpoints, beaches or ruins such as the Convent of San Francisco do Monte.

Tonight we sleep in the selected accommodation in Viana do Castelo.

4. Day. Viana do Castelo - Valença Fortress - Tui - Castro de Santa Trega - Baiona - Vigo

We have breakfast at the hotel in Viana do Castelo and do the Check-Out.

We go to see the fortress of Valença last stop in Portugal where we will see its incredible moats and walls.

We will go to Tui crossing the bridge over the Miño River and passing the border between Portugal and Spain. It is a city where you have a lot to see starting with its Monte Aloia Natural Park, its Tui Cathedral, the Santo Domingo de Tui Monastery and its fascinating churches and landscapes.

We will make a stop at Castro de Santa Tecla, in the most southwestern corner of Galicia, a privileged place where the entire estuary of the river Miño can be seen. The Castro is a walled town where you can see the settlement layout. It contains an archaeological museum where you can see the cultures that settled in the place.

We will head to Baiona where we will eat and visit the Ex-Colegiata Santa Maria and the fortress - Parador de Monterreal.

Depending on the time we have, we can choose between eating in Baiona where there are a large number of restaurants or going directly to Vigo where we can eat some of the specialties of the area, where we will have the freshest fish and seafood in Galicia. Once in Vigo we will check-in at the chosen hotel.

Vigo has a very interesting old town and the Castle of San Sebastián on Mount Castro. You can visit the contemporary Museum of M.A.R.C.O and its port, which is one of the most important fishing ports in the world. It is also interesting to visit the Pazo de Castrelos converted into a Museum, officially called the Quiñones de León Museum or the Pazo de San Roque.

We will sleep tonight at the selected hotel in Vigo.

5. Day. Vigo - Cies Island

We will have breakfast at the Hotel.

According to the time selected to take the ferry to the Cíes Islands, we can take a walk through Vigo or go directly to its seaport.

The islands belong to the National Park of the Atlantic Islands and are totally paradise islands and in perfect synchrony and balance between tourism and a careful ecosystem. It has some of the best beaches in Europe and the world, such as its spectacular Playa de Rodas.

There are two restaurants where you can eat, we recommend booking in advance.

On the way back from the Cies islands we can take advantage of a quiet day walking around Vigo and see some of the places that we have left unseen the day before.

We will sleep the second night in Vigo at the hotel.

6. Day. Vigo - Pontevedra - Santiago

We have breakfast at the hotel in Vigo and we will check-out before leaving.

On the way to Pontevedra we can visit an abandoned Pazo with incredible gardens such as the Pazo de Lourizán. It is an incredible pazo in the style of very spectacular French Romanticism.

We will visit Pontevedra. The city gets its name from Latin, "old bridge" and is one of the important centers on the Camino de Santiago Portuguese. We will enjoy a Guided Tour of Pontevedra where we will visit an old town with numerous chapels, squares, convents, ruins and interesting museums, it is a city that invites you to stroll quietly and enjoy its landscapes and environment.

In the city is the Pazo de Mugartegui which is a baroque building with carved stone from the city's quarrymen. The great noble coat of arms that can be seen on its main entrance is noteworthy.

We will eat in Pontevedra and go to Santiago. Halfway through, it will be worth stopping at the Pazo de Baion, which was the old pazo of the drug trafficker Laureano Oubiña, and the Pazo de Rubiáns, very close to Villagarcía de Aurosa, which contains not only a very interesting building with a French air, but also its gardens, vineyards and wineries where you can taste albariño and a little cheese.

Finally we head to Santiago where we will arrive quite late and we will check-in, have dinnerand sleep directly in Santiago de Compostela.

7. Day. Santiago de Compostela

We will have breakfast in Santiago and visit the city on a guided tour. We will see different places in the city declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity such as its cathedral entering through its portico of glory, Plazas de Praterías, Plaza de Obradoiro or the Reyes Católicos parador.

We will eat in the city to taste its exceptional gastronomy such as Galician broth, octopus, pork loin, cheeses and wines. We will end up enjoying the afternoon in the city to end the last night sleeping in the hotel in Santiago.

8. Day. Santiago de Compostela - Starting point

The next day in the morning we will have breakfast and check-out at the hotel. If you chose to rent the car, it will be left in the indicated place.

We wish you a safe journey back hoping that you have enjoyed these days in Galicia!

• If you have chosen a rental vehicle, the meeting point will be the Porto train station, bus station or Porto airport.
• In case of traveling with your own car, the meeting point will be the first accommodation booked.
• Check-in time: From 12:00 a.m., at your choice.

• It is advisable to always wear comfortable clothing and comfortable shoes at all times during the experience.
• Some of the routes are longer than others and it would be a good idea to plan departure times well in advance.

• NO CANCELLATION FEES up to 7 days before the start
• 7 nights Bed and Breakfast
• Guided tour Pontevedra
• Guided tour in Santiago de Compostela
• Ferry tickets to visit the Cíes Islands. Processing for the visitor of the authorization of the National Park
• Ticket Cruceiro das 6 pontes on the Douro River
• Complete itinerary of route
• Basic Travel Insurance
• Free Cancellation Insurance (up to 30 coverage)
• Route telephone assistance service

The guided tour included in the circuit will be subject to availability depending on the season.

Additional options

• Half board supplement: € 280 / Person
• Single room supplement: € 380 / Person
• 5-seater rental vehicle for the entire route (pick-up in Porto and delivery in Santiago)

HOW TO FORMALIZE YOUR RESERVATION

For a better management by our travel agency, it is advisable to make the reservation at least 15 days in advance. However, if it were less in advance, it would also be doable, but it is always advisable to do it with more time.

To formalize the reservation, they must make a payment of € 60 as a deposit and management fees per person.

Once your reservation is formalized, our team will contact you as soon as possible to specify all the details.

Once the reservation is completed, all the information will be sent to you for your approval.

Once all services have been confirmed, 15 days before the start of the same, the client must pay the rest of the reservation, that is, the total amount of the reservation amount, subtracting the previously paid deposit.

If the reservation is formalized less than 15 days before the start, the client must pay the total amount of the trip.

In case you wish to cancel this reservation, you will not incur any type of cancellation cost if you do so 7 days before the start of the trip, reimbursing the amounts you have paid.

For more information, you can contact us by sending an email to info@getingalicia.com, or by mobile number or whatsapp (+34) 639 635 925.

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