Lisbon and the Sanctuary of Fatima

This full-day Lisbon tour pairs a morning in the city with an afternoon at one of the most visited religious sites in the world.

Your guide meets you at the port and drives along Avenida da Liberdade into the historic center, with stops at Lisbon's Cathedral and the Graca viewpoint over the city and the Tagus River, then past the Alfama district and Comercio Square on the way to Belem. There you see Belem Tower, built under King Manuel I between 1514 and 1520, and Jeronimos Monastery, begun in 1501 and the resting place of Vasco da Gama, both UNESCO listed since 1983. You get an included taste of the original Pastel de Belem tart in Belem, then a glass of Port wine during a short stop in the Baixa district before heading out of the city.

In the afternoon you drive about 80 miles (130km) north to Fatima, home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. The sanctuary's public square is larger than St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, and the site was built to honor the events of 1917, when the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared six times, on the 13th of each month between May and October, to three shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. The final apparition on October 13, 1917, drew a large crowd who reported witnessing an unusual solar phenomenon now known as the Miracle of the Sun. You have time to explore the Apparitions Chapel, the Basilica, the Holy Trinity Church, and the Candles Wall, with time built in to attend Mass or browse the souvenir shops nearby if you choose, before returning to Lisbon.