Central Portugal Express: Lisbon, Fairytale Palaces & the Best of Atlantic Coast

We meet in Lisbon city centre, check into the hotel and go looking for a view before the light goes.

• First stop is a miradouro, one of the city's viewpoints, to catch the sunset and start putting names to the faces we will travel with.

• Welcome dinner follows, with a plate of Bitoque or Bacalhau à Brás, then a drink out in the nightlife around Bairro Alto or Pink Street.

Today Lisbon gets covered on foot and on rails, starting with the tram everybody photographs and nobody ever boards quickly.

• We hop on the iconic Tram 28 up to Alfama, with a sneak peek at Lisbon Castle, then walk the narrow streets past Lisbon Cathedral and the miradouros to Praça do Comércio.

• After lunch we climb the Elevador de Santa Justa for the view over Lisbon, with Pastel de Bacalhau and its Serra da Estrela cheese alongside.

• Free time to shop, relax or change at the hotel, then back into Baixa or Alfama for a traditional Fado dinner, the most emotional part of Portuguese culture.

We leave Lisbon behind this morning for a day trip inland and then out to the very edge of the continent.

• Sintra first, and the colourful Pena Palace, one of Portugal's most famous landmarks: the park and gardens around it, then the rooms and the views inside.

• From there it is your call between the Moorish Castle, Quinta da Regaleira, or the town centre for a pastel de nata and a bit of shopping.

• Then on to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, for sunset, before the ride back to Lisbon and dinner together if appetite allows.

Two trains today, one to the monuments and one to the sea, which makes this the broadest day of the five.

• The train takes us to Belém, where the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the top of the Monument of the Discoveries stand close together, plus Pastel de Belém in its birthplace.

• After lunch we ride on to Cascais on the Portuguese Riviera: the beach, a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, the charming old town, souvenirs, coffee by the marina, the cliffs at Boca do Inferno.

• One last sunset by the sea, then back to Lisbon for dinner, cocktails on Pink Street or the bars of Bairro Alto, depending on stamina.

Final day, and a soft one. We check out and see how much time our departing flights actually leave us.

• If there is room, brunch together in the city, one more coffee at the table before the group slowly starts splitting up towards the airport.

• Or LX Factory, the historical industrial complex under the 25th April Bridge, full of arty retailers and unique cafes to browse, and then goodbyes for now.