Royal Tour of Palaces from Lisbon

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Magnificat Tours, Av. Republica 6 - 7ESQ, Lisbon 1050-191 Portugal

Spend the day visiting breathtaking landscapes and Portugal's unique monuments on this private and customizable royal tour. After being picked up from your accommodation, the tour will begin with a drive towards Queluz National Palace

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: National Palace of Queluz, Largo do Palacio, Queluz 2745-191 Portugal

One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza, later to become husband and then king consort to his own niece, Queen Maria I. It served as a discreet place of incarceration for Queen Maria as her descent into madness continued in the years following Dom Pedro's death in 1786. Following the destruction by fire of the Ajuda Palace in 1794, Queluz Palace became the official residence of the Portuguese prince regent John VI, and his family and remained so until the royal family fled to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in 1807 following the French invasion of Portugal

Work on the palace began in 1747 under Portuguese architect Mateus Vicente de Oliveira. Despite being far smaller, the palace is often referred to as the Portuguese Versailles. From 1826, the palace slowly fell from favour with the Portuguese sovereigns. In 1908, it became the property of the state. Following a serious fire in 1934, which gutted one-third of the interior, the palace was extensively restored, and today is open to the public as a major tourist attraction.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Palacio Nacional de Mafra, Terreiro Dom Joao v, Mafra 2640-492 Portugal

Then we will drive you towards Mafra. Hometown of one of the most magnificent European Baroque convent and palace, it has a library considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

The palace, which also served as a Franciscan monastery, was built during the reign of King John V (1707–1750), as consequence of a vow the king made in 1711, to build a convent if his wife gave him offspring. The birth of his first daughter the Infanta Barbara of Portugal, prompted construction of the palace to begin. The palace was conveniently located near royal hunting preserves, and was usually a secondary residence for the royal family.

This vast complex is among the most sumptuous Baroque buildings in Portugal and at 40,000 m², one of the largest royal palaces. Designed by the German architect João Frederico Ludovice, the palace was built symmetrically from a central axis, occupied by the basilica, and continues lengthwise through the main façade until two major towers. The structures of the convent are located behind the main façade.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Palacio Nacional da Ajuda, Largo da Ajuda, Lisbon 1300-018 Portugal

The Palace of Ajuda is a neoclassical monument in the civil parish of Ajuda in the city of Lisbon, central Portugal. Built on the site of a temporary wooden building constructed to house the Royal family after the 1755 earthquake and tsunami, it was originally begun by architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa, who planned a late Baroque-Rococo building. Later, it was entrusted to José da Costa e Silva and Francisco Xavier Fabri, who planned a magnificent building in the modern neoclassical style.

When the palace finally became a permanent residence of the royal family during the reign of King Luis I and his wife, Maria Pia of Savoy, their architect, Possidónio da Silva, introduced many aesthetic changes and turned one of the lateral façades into the main one.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Magnificat Tours, Av. Republica 6 - 7ESQ, Lisbon 1050-191 Portugal

The tour ends with a return to Lisbon and drop-off at your accommodation.

Duration: 30 minutes