Visit the Museo de Axulejos
Witness artisans at work at the FRESS workshop
Visit the Gulbenkian Museum
In the sunlit streets of Lisbon, beauty lies in every elegant façade, every hand-painted tile, and every quiet historic garden. Here, art and craftsmanship have shaped a city where tradition still gleams beneath the refined spirit of Portugal’s capital. Step inside the Palacio Fronteira and the glittering azulejos of the Museu Nacional, glimpse masterpieces at the Gulbenkian Museum, and watch artisans at work at FRESS, where centuries-old skills are preserved and passed on to the next generation.
The quote “Only the Best” refers to the Armenian-born collector, Calouste Gulbenkian, whose collection is housed in the museum of the same name. It could also be applied to Lisbon itself, whose architecture and art collections reflect the fact that this small nation was once one of the wealthiest in Europe. This tour, new for 2026, explores some of these splendours.
Available Departures |
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| 24 - November - 2026 | £ 2999.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings London Heathrow Departing: 24th November 2026 at 12:00 Returning: 29th November 2026 at 12:55 |
Day 1: London to Lisbon
Fly from London Heathrow to Lisbon. Transfer by coach to the hotel. Evening welcome drink, talk from Nicholas Merchant: 'An Introduction to Portugal', followed by dinner at the hotel.
Day 2: Palace of Fronteira and Museo de Azulejos
Our first visit is to the Palace of Frontiera. The Palace of Fronteira, is a 17th-century palace and gardens located in the Benfica district of Lisbon. It is known for its astonishing collection of 17th-century azulejos (Portuguese tiles) and immaculately-maintained baroque gardens. The palace is still privately owned and lived in by the family of the Marquesses of Fronteira.
If you remember nothing else about Portugal you will remember the ubiquitous use of tiles in both external and internal architecture. These mainly blue and white tiles embellish buildings great and small. To learn something of their design and origins means a visit to the Museo de Azulejos is essential. On return to the hotel, Nicholas will give you a talk on 'Baroque Art in Portugal'. The architecture of Portugal is a very particular manifestation of that style, so prevalent throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th century.
Day 3: Museum of Decorative Arts, and FRESS
Today we visit the Museum of Decorative Arts and the grandly named Fundacao Ricardo do Espirito Santo Santo. Here we will see how the arts of traditional cabinet-making, weaving of passementerie, marbled paper-making, gilding, are encouraged, thus ensuring such specialist trades are carried on to future generations. Adjacent is the Museu de Artes Decorativas, located in the Azurara Palace in the Alfama district. It houses a collection of decorative arts spanning the 15th to 20th centuries, including furniture, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, and paintings.
Day 4: Church of St Roque, and free time or optional visit to the National Coach Museum
A little preliminary study will enhance your visit to the Church of St. Roque. It is one of the first Jesuit churches in the world, and despite its plain exterior it contains some of the most lavish and ornate interiors imaginable. These funded largely by the wealth of Portugals’ Brazilian colony. Of particular splendour is the Chapel of John the Baptist. Not only is the Chapel embellished with precious materials, porphyry, ivory, amethyst and carrara marble, but it was actually constructed in Rome, blessed by the Pope Benedict XIV, and then disassembled and brought to Lisbon.
For those not wishing to visit the Coach Museum, the afternoon is at your disposal to explore Lisbon. The National Coach Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of horse-drawn carriages, specifically those used by the Portuguese royal houses from the 16th to 19th centuries. It was established in 1905 and houses a significant collection of coaches, berlins, carriages, and other related items. The museum is located in the Belém district, in a new building, it was formerly housed in the royal riding school that was part of Belém Palace.
Before dinner, Nicholas will talk on the Gulbenkian Museum, tomorrow’s destination 'Only the Best'.
Day 5: Gulbenkian Museum and Museu de Arte Antigue
Today we visit the Gulbenkian Museum in its parkland setting. In this modern building is the collection of Calouste Gulbenkian. Here are displayed the multi-facetted collection of this prolific collector. Ancient coins, French furniture of the Ancien Regime, Isnik pottery, Rembrandt portraits are but a few of the treasures to astonish you. Further delights await you at the Museu de Arte Antigue, most memorably a spectacular silver table service by Thomas Germain which required a ton of silver in the making. In addition are the picture, furniture, textile, and jewellery collections representing a thousand years of Portuguese history. Evening at leisure.
Day 6: Departure
Transfer to the airport for return flight to London.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion
Please note that flight times are provisional and subject to change according to airline schedules.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.
Tour Grading: This tour has been graded as moderate with lots of walking at each attraction, and standing for viewing. Please visit the mobility page of our website for further information, or call our team with any questions prior to booking.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Hotel Jupiter Lisboa
Jupiter Lisboa Hotel offers a restful and elegant retreat in the heart of Lisbon, ideal for those seeking comfort and charm. Set in a beautifully restored 1906 building, it features spacious bedrooms, a rooftop pool with panoramic views, and a wellness centre. It is an excellent base for discovering Lisbon.
Hotel Jupiter Lisboa Website
Nicholas Merchant
Nicholas Merchant is a freelance lecturer on the Decorative and Fine Arts. He lectures extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe as one of the accredited lecturers of the Arts Society formerly National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts. In addition he has lectured in the United States, South Africa and recently by zoom to New Zealand.
His wide knowledge of the Decorative Arts has been acquired through initially working for some of the leading auction houses including Sotheby’s and Phillip’s (now Bonhams) where he qualified as a Valuer through the Chartered Institute of Valuers (now Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors). Utilising his knowledge and love of his subject he subsequently was involved in the book-trade, specialising in reference books on the decorative and fine arts. His own business in this area introduced him to many of the leading antique dealers both in the United Kingdom and overseas. This business, likewise, took him not just to the principal London exhibitions but to Paris, Frankfurt and New York.
In 2004 Nicholas joined the panel of, the then, National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts and has since acquired a reputation as a lecturer whose convivial style of addressing his audience is guaranteed to entertain and inform. Nicholas not only lectures for the Arts Society but also for some of the principal cruise lines, such as Noble-Caledonia and Hebridean Princess, travelling notably to Germany, Italy and the Adriatic. The Baltic he has visited on a number of occasions, even conducting his own tour to St Petersburg. On each occasion Nicholas prepares power-point presentations relevant to the destinations. He also leads several tours for Travel Editions each year.
He was, until recently, the West Yorkshire representative for the Art Fund helping to raise money to keep art treasures in Britain. He now lectures extensively on-line not only in the UK but to New Zealand and South Africa. He is also the Northern Representative of the Friends of the British Antique Dealers Association.
Nicholas’ hobbies include book-collecting, travel, the history of country houses.
Click here to view other tours led by Nicholas Merchant.
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