Lisbon. Welcomed by your French-speaking local guide, then transferred to Restauradores square for a first walk around Rossio square, with the castle on the Alfama hill and the Santa Justa lift. Hotel check-in and, in the evening, a welcome dinner. (D)

Lisbon: sightseeing. Morning devoted to the guided visit of the Portuguese capital: Marquês de Pombal square, the Belém tower and the UNESCO-listed Jerónimos monastery, both seen from the outside. Then off to the Estoril coast and its seaside towns, Cascais and Estoril. Back to Lisbon and a free evening. (B)

Lisbon – Óbidos – Alcobaça – Nazaré. Off to Óbidos, a walled medieval town, then a visit of the Alcobaça church, whose architecture is typical of Cistercian buildings. Free time for lunch, then the drive to Nazaré, a fishing village, and hotel check-in. (B)

Nazaré – Coimbra – Aveiro – Porto. In the morning, discovery of Coimbra and a visit of its university, subject to availability. Stop in Aveiro, nicknamed the Venice of Portugal, then arrival in Porto and at the port of Vila Nova de Gaia. Embarkation aboard the M/S Queen Isabel, check-in and welcome cocktail. Dinner on board. (B, D)

Porto – Régua – Lamego. Sailing begins in the Douro valley, where the villages seem suspended among the vines and the olive groves. Lunch on board. In the early afternoon, arrival in Régua, the centre of the port wine trade as early as the 13th century, and a visit of the Douro museum, housed in a former warehouse. Drive to Lamego, where the sovereignty of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, was recognised in 1143. The sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios overlooks the town at the top of a baroque staircase of 686 steps decorated with azulejos. Visit of the 12th-century cathedral. Dinner in a quinta, in the heart of the vineyards. (B, L, D)

Régua – Vega Terron. Off to the Casa de Mateus, an elegant 18th-century manor and a gem of baroque art, and a look at its gardens: flowered walks, exotic plants, a cypress tunnel and a pool reflecting the house. Then a visit of a quinta, a wine estate, with a wine tasting. After lunch on board, an afternoon of sailing to Vega Terron, on the Spanish border, through the deep valleys of the Douro, widened by the dams that regulate the river's flow and produce much of the country's electricity. Dinner on board. (B, L, D)

Vega Terron – Salamanca – Barca d'Alva. A day devoted to Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage site for its old town. Panoramic tour taking in the Plaza Mayor, one of the finest squares in Spain, a visit of the university founded in 1215 on the patio de las Escuelas, then of the new cathedral, built between the 16th and 18th centuries, which blends Gothic, Renaissance and baroque. Lunch of local specialties in a restaurant in town and free time in the afternoon. Back on board at Barca d'Alva. (B, L, D)

Barca d'Alva – Castelo Rodrigo – Régua. Off to Castelo Rodrigo, a small medieval village on a hilltop, overlooking the plateau as far as Spain to the east and the Douro valley to the north. A walk through the steep lanes, between 16th-century facades and Manueline windows. Visit of the Côa museum, which presents the rock art of the Côa valley. Lunch on board, then an afternoon of sailing through the valley, in a landscape of vines terraced on every available patch of mountain. Dinner and folk show on board. (B, L, D)

Régua – Porto. Morning of sailing to Porto and lunch on board. In the afternoon, a visit of the city, which overlooks the river at its mouth and whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit of the cathedral, whose forecourt opens onto the river and the rooftops, then of the Stock Exchange palace, a national monument, and its Moorish hall inspired by the Alhambra. The visit ends with a wine tasting in one of the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. After dinner, a fado evening on board. (B, L, D)

Porto – Guimarães – Braga – Porto. Motorcoach departure for Guimarães, birthplace of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. Discovery of the historic centre along the largo da Oliveira, a remarkably well-preserved medieval ensemble, and a visit of the palace of the Dukes of Braganza. On to Braga, once nicknamed the Rome of Portugal and still one of the country's main religious centres, with lunch in a restaurant. A walk through the centre and a visit of the 12th-century cathedral, the oldest in the country, then a look at the sanctuary of Bom Jesus, whose grand staircase has 17 landings decorated with fountains and allegorical statues. Back to Porto and dinner on board. (B, L, D)

Porto – Montreal. Breakfast on board, disembarkation and transfer to Porto airport for the return flight to Montreal, with a connection depending on the date. Meals on board. (B)