Wellington in Portugal The Early Years of Defence All the Major Sites of his 1808 & 1809-1811 Campaigns
Cinematic Scenery, Fabulous Sites, Classic Tastes Britain's Oldest Ally in all her Rapturous Beauty The early Portuguese campaigns of General Arthur Wellesley, who rose to become the Duke of Wellington are less well known than his later campaigns in Spain and France, and all the more fascinating and intriguing for it. As an added bonus, visiting the various sites of his operations in 1808-11, we also pass through a countryside of stunning beauty with many historic towns, filled with great Moorish castles perched atop of craggy hills, sumptuous palaces, great gothic cathedrals, incredible aqueducts, impressive universities, and perhaps more surprisingly beautiful canals. Most people who visit Portugal go to the south to the Algarve, but Lisbon and the country to the north are both stunningly beautiful, very historic and fortuitously it just happens to be where most of the best wine is grown! This tour begins at Lisbon - we will visit Black Horse Square, where soldiers first stepped ashore, and the castle where many French prisoners spent their last days before being shipped to the English prison hulks. Also the palace where the Convention of Sintra was signed. In the ensuing days, we will travel through many of the historic towns and cities the soldiers passed through as they travelled north to join the army. We will of course view the battlefields of Bussaco, Vimiero, Fuentes d Onoro, Rolica and Oporto, as well as viewing Wellington s headquarters at Freineda, the incredible fortifications of the Lines of Torres Vedras and the amazing border fortress of Almeida.
Date Saturday 12th May to Monday 21st May 2018 Duration Ten days / Nine Nights All-Inclusive* We start in Lisbon, staying in 4* central accommodation, journeying in our premium coach with regular stops, overnighting at local 4* hotels, ending in Oporto (or travel with us back to Lisbon), with all meals, tours, transport and entrance fees covered. Options Extend your stay with additional accommodation nights available in Lisbon before, and after the tour in Oporto or Lisbon * All-Inclusive excludes extras at your request, such as hotel room service, laundry, fridge and additional drinks Whilst we view these military sites, it would be a crime not to visit the best that Portugal offers in both culture and history. We will climb into the mountains to view the fabulous palaces and Moorish castles of Sintra, we will visit the castle and stunning aqueduct at Tomar. We will gaze on the impressive University buildings of Coimbra, including the fabulous library and Obidos with its castle, town walls and wonderful traditional little shops. Be prepared to be stunned by the beauty and astounding colours of the coastal town of Aveiro and its many canals, which we will have the opportunity to sail along. A drive inland will take us to the rugged scenery of Almeida and the beautiful scenery of the Coa River valley, followed by a slow drive along the picturesque Douro valley, to our final destination at Oporto, with stops to sample the local wines at vineyards along the way. There will also be ample opportunity to sample the hearty Portuguese cuisine, their freshly baked Custard tarts are sweet and irresistible! There will of course be ample opportunities for discovering the very best of Portuguese wines (a secret that needs to be uncovered!) and of course, when at Oporto it would be rude not to sample the very best ports, wouldn t it? Our tours are carefully designed to minimise travel time between sites, increasing the time for visiting, enjoying and relaxing. Despite this, our tour takes in no fewer than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites! For those travelling from afar, you may wish to consider continuing your sumptuous holiday and booking for our next adventures, our tours of Waterloo and Copenhagen in June, and secure your multi-tour discount on all our tours.
Our Battles 1807 Napoleon orders invasion of Portugal. Portugese Royal Family flee to Brazil. Marshal Junot captures Lisbon. 1808 Lt. General Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) lands, defeating the French at Roliça & Vimiero. Scandal of the Convention of Sintra. 1809 Marshal Soult seizes Porto. Wellesley returns, retaking Porto. 1810 Marshal Massena attacks, explosion at Almeida, Battles of Côa, Buçaco. Held at Lines of Torres Vedras. 1811 Wellington besieges Almeida. Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro.
Wines, Vineyards & Tastings We delight in good food and wine We do more than just enjoy wine with our evening meals. On our first full day we enjoy a Professional tasting of Portuguese wines. Our restaurants include Lisbon s top Italian restaurant. Later we enjoy Portuguese cuisine, and we ll visit some of the very best houses on the Douro and Porto! We ll enjoy a Tour and Tasting at Croft s cornerstone vineyard Quinta da Roêda in Pinhão, often described as the jewel of Port wines estates planted with some of the oldest vines along the Douro valley. We ll lunch at Fonseca s flagship estate Quinta do Panascal. And we ll take a private tour and premium tasting with Taylor s in historic Vila Nova de Gaia, Oporto, followed by dinner in their restaurant overlooking the illuminated city.
Our Hotels A Blend of City, Town, Village, Modern, Historic & Character 4-Stars Our tour takes in 6 quality hotels, each handpicked for comfort reflecting the character of each location whilst minimising daily journey times. From modern to rustic, charming to boutique, city to village, each is designed to give us a great end to the day, a good night's sleep and a refreshing start. These carefully selected hotels offer the best facilities in each location, and we ve tried and tested each one to suit your tour enjoyment. We use a number of hotels along the route, adding to the variety of your experience and, critically, avoiding the need for long travel times each day.
Day by Day Itinerary Premium Transport outside Lisbon & Porto YOUR TOUR STARTS IN LISBON 12th May PM: Meet & Greet Gather at our hotel in Lisbon, tour introduction, history of the era, acclimatisation tour & dinner. 13th May: Cultural Lisbon São Jorge Castle, Sé Cathedral, Igreja do Carmo, Praca do Comércio, Belém Tower, Jerónimos Monastery, Padrãos dos Descobrimentos. 14th May: Cultural Cintra Aqueduct Aguas Livres, Queluz Palace & the 1808 Convention of Cintra, Royal Palace & Pena Palace. Back to Lisbon. 15th May: Mountains & Battlefields Premium coach to Pero Negro Wellington's HQ, fort & visitor centre at St Vincente, museum & castle at Torres Vedras, battlefield & visitor centre of Vimeiro, battlefield of Rolica. Hotel beside the walled town of Obidos. 16th May: Inspirational Sights & Sites Soldier's route through Santarem, Tagus valley, Knights Templar Almourol castle, Tomar convent & castle, Pegoes aqueduct, Coimbra university library & cathedral. Hotel in Coimbra.
Your Lead Guide Gareth Glover 17th May: Battles & Canals Battle of Bussaco ridge, Buçaco Palace, the colours and canals of Aveiro, boat trip. Hotel in Aveiro. 18th May: Military Sites Wellington s headquarters at Freineda, battlefield of Fuentes d Onoro. Lunch at Fort Concepcion. River Coa, Fortress of Almeida. Hotel in Almeida. 19th May: Wine & Beauty Douro valley, Croft Quinta flagship wine estate guided tour & tasting, lunch at Fonseca s flagship Quinta. Hotel in Porto. Bio The most prolific author on the Napoleonic Era, Gareth is at the very forefront of discovering and re-interpreting the memoirs of soldiers who marched and fought across the landscapes we travel. To date Gareth has published 66 books and memoirs on the Napoleonic Wars and those who fought in it. His recent works include Waterloo in 100 Objects, The Forgotten War Against Napoleon; Conflict in the Mediterranean 1793-1815, and The American Sharpe. Gareth's career has ranged from a Commissioned Officer of the Royal Navy, to managing one of the country's finest food halls. 20th May: Porto (Oporto) Site of famous crossing, Ponte Luis I, Mosteiro da Nossa Serra do Pilar, Bishop's Seminary, piers, cathedral, Palacio da Bolsa, private tour of Taylor's wine lodge & vintage port opening. 21st May: Travel home from Porto airport, or stay on, or join us on the return to Lisbon to catch a flight from there. YOUR TOUR FINISHES IN PORTO OR LISBON Your flights are not included in our tour, and should be booked to suit your own convenience and preferences. We are happy to help. Gareth is a Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society and a Director & Founder of Campaigns & Culture Ltd. Supported by ROBERT POCOCK
UNESCO World Heritage Sites We visit each one Monastery of Jerónimos, Lisbon Tower of Belem, Lisbon Cultural Landscape of Sintra Convent of Christ, Tomar Coimbra University, Uptown & Sofia Alto Douro Wine Region Historic Centre of Porto We ll also sample the Mediterranean Diet which has its own UNESCO Heritage recognition!
Your Journey Rewards for Early-Birds, Loyalty Discounts, Families & Groups All-Inclusive* Normal Tour Price 3,495 per person sharing a double / twin room Single occupancy supplement 495 Early-Bird discounts of 300 per person are available to the very earliest bookers. If you ve missed the Early-Bird offer, you still secure the 300 per person discount by booking two or more of our 2018 tours, or by booking as a family or group of 4 or more on this tour. We also offer discounts of 150 per person for a family or group of 3. The highest discount only applies. We ll automatically apply the highest discount that you qualify for to your booking.
A few of our other treats Cultural as much as Historical Bandmaster Westcott Tales from his unpublished campaign memoir, sightseeing and campaigning through Coimbra to Buçaco and Almeida. Knights Templar Castles Almouro, Coimbra & Tomar, alluringly different and very beautiful. Aveiro The Venice of Portugal. A relaxing Moliceiros boat journey along the canals of this beautiful & colourful gem. Fort Concepcion Lunch in one of the most perfectly designed forts. Once HQ of the famous Light Division, of French Marshal Massena, and even a French café!
Fitness Guide Reasonable fitness Portugal possesses very little flat ground. Much of the time you can expect to be ascending or descending inclines, some of which can be quite challenging for short distances and will require a reasonably normal level of fitness. Some of the minor routes are little more than uneven dirt tracks, therefore sensible walking shoes or boots with a good grip are recommended. Even in cities there are often wide areas of uneven cobbles which require sensible shoes, preferably with some form of padding for the heels as the cobbles can be unforgiving. Heels are not recommended for Portugal at all.
Please book online, contact us through the website or call us on +44 (0)1805 43 1066 We look forward to welcoming our Guests on Tour Campaigns & Culture Ltd 2017/8