Porto Cathedral

Fascinating churches are among the favorite destinations of travelers to Porto, Portugal. The Porto Cathedral, located in the historical center of city is one of the ‘not to miss’ attractions of the city.

The Porto Cathedral was built in the 12th century and is one of the oldest monuments in the country. The cathedral was build in the Romanesque style, and is still considered one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Portugal. However, the external appearance of the cathedral was greatly altered during Baroque times.

Visit the Porto Cathedral on your next visit to Portugal with Celtic Tours.

Porto – The City of Wonders

Gourmets, history buffs and art lovers will love Portugal’s second largest city, Porto. With so much to see and do in Porto, we recommend spending at least 3 days in the city. A few of the highlights of the city: explore the fascinating churches, stroll the picturesque alleyways with wrought-iron balconies filled with potted flowers, explore the history of port wine, visit one of the magnificent museums and shop till you drop in one of the city’s many shopping streets and malls.

A world heritage site, Porto, Portugal is recognized as one of the oldest European centers with a huge number of well-preserved historical buildings, monuments, castles, parks and gardens.

Fascinating churches are among the favorite destinations of travelers to Porto, Portugal. Some of our favorites are the Porto Cathedral and the extraordinarily lavish Sao Francisco. The Porto Cathedral was built in the 12th century and is one of the oldest monuments in the country. The Sao Francisco, though no longer serves as a church is an excellent exhibition of 17th and 18th century baroque architecture and decoration.

While visiting Porto, Portugal it is important to stroll through the charming historical neighborhoods and alleyways such as the Ribeira district and the Street of Flowers. As the capital of port wine, another not miss attraction is to learn about and sample Port Wine.

Visit the City of Wonders, Porto, Portugal on your next vacation to Portugal with Celtic Tours. Give us a call at 1-800-833-4373 or visit our website for more vacation inspiration!

Crystal Palace Gardens, Porto, Portugal

The Crystal Palace is a huge domed pavilion set in beautiful gardens in Portugal’s second largest city Porto.

The original iron and glass structure was built in 1861, but was replaced by the present one in 1952. Today the pavilion serves as a venue for concerts and sporting events, seating 10,000 spectators.

A beautifully landscaped park surrounds the Crystal Palace. Here you will find lush green lawns, statues, ponds, exotic plants, peacocks and superb views of the city and the River Douro. There is also a multimedia library, an auditorium, a cafeteria, and the Romantic Museum.

The Crystal Palace Gardens make a great place to stop for a picnic or if traveling to Portugal with children, a great place for the kids to run around. Visit the Crystal Palace gardens on your next Celtic Tours vacation to Portugal.

10 Things to do in Lisbon with your Kids

The family-oriented Portuguese welcome children everywhere and there are plenty of opportunities in and around Lisbon, Portugal to keeps kids entertained. Here are 10 of our favorite family friendly activities.

1. The Oceanarium: Lisbon's Oceanarium is one of the world's largest aquariums. It is a deep-sea diving experience without any of the risks, with about 25,000 fish, seabirds, and mammals in an enormous central tank that is the size of four Olympic-sized swimming pools. Visitors can look into it from different levels for close-ups of the various creatures, including different species of sharks.

2. Tropical Garden: Lisbon's beautiful tropical garden is a charming, yet often overlooked spot that has maintained all the ponds, towering palm trees, and over 4000 species of tropical plants that it had when it was created in 1906.

3. Coaches Museum: One of Lisbon's most visited sights, the Coaches Museum has the largest and most valuable collection of fairytale coaches in the world.

4. Interactive Science Museum: The Interactive Science Museum has highly educational exhibits with cutting-edge technology and multimedia. There are fun interactive displays and simulations, explaining the use of technology in everyday life. Many of the world's major scientific institutes contribute to thematic exhibitions, making this a rewarding experience for both adults and children.

5. Marionette Museum: The former 18th century Bernardas Convent houses a lovely collection of over 1,000 puppets, including some dating from the 17th and 18th centuries -- knights, princesses, devils, among other characters.

6. The Toy Museum at Sintra: Another museum that will delight the entire family.

7. Colombo Shopping Center: A children's play area can be found uptown on the top floor of Colombo Shopping Center, including a fun fair that claims to be the largest indoor amusement park in Europe with a roller coaster and other rides, video games, bowling, and a go cart track to entertain the kids as you shop.

8. Pena Palace: This fairytale palace is the most complete and notable example of Portuguese architecture in the Romantic period. It stands on one of the rocky peaks of the Serra de Sintra, and blends in a surprisingly fortunate manner with its natural background of greenery and crags, testifying to the aesthetic potentialities of the project.

9. Jeronimos Monastery: Enjoy some medieval storytelling in the cloisters of Jeronimos Monastery.

10. Parque das Nações: Parque das Nações is the district with the most family entertainment, offering several attractions suitable for people of all ages. Mostly traffic-free and with riverside walkways, it is a good place for a day out, with cable car rides, bikes for hire, water gardens, bowling, international restaurants, and a playground known as "Parque do Gil."

Enjoy Portugal with your friends and family on Celtic Tours Experience Portugal Small Group Tour.

Shopping in Lisbon

Baixa, the city center of Lisbon, Portugal, with elegant squares, pedestrianized streets, cafes, and shops. Old tramcars, street performers, tiled Art Deco shopfronts, elaborately decorated pastry shops, and street vendors selling everything from flowers to souvenirs, all lend a special charm to the area. Watch it all from a table outside Nicola Café in Rossio Square facing the monumental National Theater and Saint George's Castle, and as you stroll down the pedestrian Rua Augusta, past the triumphal arch, into the majestic Comercio Square. Look down at the cobbled mosaic pavements as you walk down Avenida da Liberdade, past Restauradores, Rossio, and Rua Augusta. It is hardly a secret but the nondescript façade of "Casa do Alentejo" in Rua das Portas de Santo Antão may prevent you from finding its beautiful Moorish interior.

Baixa literally means “low” as it is situated in the gulf between the two main hills of the city. Owing its neat rows of stately neoclassical buildings to the devastating earthquake of 1755, it is said that it is almost impossible to get lost in downtown Lisbon.

Baixa is the central shopping and business district of Lisbon. Portuguese handcrafts often exhibit exotic influences, in part because of Portugal’s vast history as a seafaring nation. The Baixa shopping district lies between the Rossio and the river Tagus. The three main shopping streets are the Rua Aurea, or Street of Gold, the Rua da Prata, Street of Silver and the Rua Augusta.

Don’t forget to check out the famous Feira da Ladra, or “Theives Market” where you can experience haggling for bargains. Today, the traders here are perfectly legal, and they show their wares every Tuesday and Saturday. This open-air market is about a 5 minute walk from the waterfront, close to the Alfama district. Start browsing at Campo de Santa Clara, portable stalls and individual displays climb the hilly street. Nearly everything you can imagine is for sale here, but come early for the finest pickings.

From pottery and ceramics to fashion, art and handcrafts, Lisbon’s business and shopping district is not to be missed. Plan your Lisbon shopping day with your favorite group of people on Celtic Tours Experience Portugal Group Tour.

Experience Portugal

Our new Portugal Experience tour is designed for small groups of 10 or more. Great for Family and Friends.

Enjoy this great itinerary with your favorite group of people:

Day 01: U.S. to Lisbon: Depart on overnight flight to Portugal.

Day 02: Lisbon: Arrive Portugal with local transportation and English speaking assistant waiting. Airport to hotel transfer with your afternoon free at leisure. Overnight Lisbon.

Day 03: Lisbon. Enjoy a hot buffet breakfast. Today we experience a half-day sightseeing tour, which includes; entrance to Jeronimos Monastry (Belem) including views of the Tomb of Vasco Da Gama and the Cloisters and a visit to Baixa. With our afternoon at leisure to enjoy Lisbon.

Optional Excursion $99: Opt for a full-day excursion to Fatima. Enjoy Fatima, with a 3-hour guide. Visit Basilica of Our Lady and Chapel of Apparitions. With Lunch on own.

Day 04: Lisbon - Porto. After breakfast, local one-way transfer from Lisbon to Porto.Porto, Portugal Afternoon free in Porto to enjoy the city at leisure.

Day 05: Porto. After breakfast, we experience a half-day sightseeing tour which includes entrance to SE Cathedral, Palacio De Bolsa (with guide) and Mercado Do Bolhao. Afternoon at leisure in beautiful Porto.

Day 06: Porto. After breakfast, enjoy Porto at your leisure today.

Day 07: Porto - Lisbon. After a hot hotel buffet breakfast, local one-way transfer from Porto to Lisbon. Afternoon free in Lisbon to enjoy the city at leisure.

Day 08: Lisbon - U.S. After breakfast, transfer from Lisbon hotel to airport for return flight home.

For more information on Celtic Tours Experience Portugal Group Package, please visit our website.