Sports Travel Experience Designed Especially for Maryland Youth Soccer Association U15 Boys Soccer in Lisbon April 14 - April 22, 2019 ITINERARY OVERVIEW DAY 1 DEPART WASHINGTON DAY 2 ARRIVE LISBON AREA (7 NIGHTS) & TRAINING SESSION DAY 3 PROFESSIONAL COACHING CLINIC, LISBON & ATTEND PROFESSIONAL MATCH DAY 4 EXCURSION TO SINTRA & FIRST INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY DAY 5 STADIUM TOUR & SECOND INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY DAY 6 TRAINING SESSION & LISBON BEACH DAY DAY 7 LISBON & THIRD INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY DAY 8 LISBON & FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY DAY 9 DEPART LISBON
ITINERARY Football is by far the most popular sport in Portugal and is played by more youth than any other sport. Portugal?s national team is among the top-rated teams in both Europe and the world and compete in World Cup and Euro Cup competitions regularly. The Primeira Liga is the top Portuguese football league with the top 16 teams competing, including Benefica, Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto. Portugal has produced many talented players, including Ronaldo and Figo. Educational Tour/Visit Cultural Experience Festival/Performance/Workshop Tour Services Recreational Activity LEAP Enrichment Match/Training Session DAY 1 Sunday, 14 April 2019 Relax and enjoy our scheduled flight from Washington to Lisbon. * Please note that the final itinerary may be slightly different from this program. The final itinerary will be determined based on the size of the group, any adjustments that are required (such as adding additional matches), and the final schedule of the matches. (If additional matches are required, then some sightseeing content will be replaced by the additional matches needed.) DAY 2 Monday, 15 April 2019 Our 24-hour Tour Director will meet us at the airport and remain with us until our final airport departure. We will have use of a private coach and driver, while touring for the next seven days. Lisbon is a charming capital city with a rich cultural heritage. The city is a striking mix of old and new, whose laid back pace welcomes visitors to this European capital. For the next seven evenings we will enjoy our Lisbon area hotel. While here breakfast and dinner (or lunch based on the final schedule) will be included at the hotel each day. TRAINING SESSION We will participate in a Training Session at a local field. The training session will be led by your own coaching staff and is designed to prepare the team for upcoming friendly matches. (Training sessions may be in the morning, afternoon or evening and will be determined by the final hotel location, field availability, and the schedule of activities for the day.) DAY 3 Tuesday, 16 April 2019 PROFESSIONAL COACHING CLINIC We will participate in a special Coaching Clinic with a guest coach, player or instructor. The clinic will be designed exclusively for the team and to enhance skills in areas identified by the coaching staff. (Excel Sports has contacts at every level and can provide your team with some of the finest instructors in the industry. Specific clinics and coaches will be selected after time of booking.) LISBON WALKING TOUR Enjoy a Walking Tour and explore the riverfront Praco do Comercio, Lisbon s most famous and popular square. View the Equestrian Statue of Dom Jose and walk through the city s Alfama area, the old-fashioned residential neighborhood that survived the earthquake of 1755. CASTLE OF SAO JORGE Explore the Castle of Sao Jorge, the nucleus of the original city, inhabited by the Phoenicians and subsequently by every other conquering culture. 1
DAY 3 Tuesday, 16 April 2019 ATTEND PROFESSIONAL MATCH Attend a professional soccer match in the Lisbon area featuring teams from the top leagues. Seeing the top talent in the world in person would itself be an unforgettable experience, but add the passionate crowds signing, cheering and chanting and you will enter an atmosphere that can only be understood through personal experience. (Excel Programs will secure tickets for the group after time of booking and upon release of the official schedule. Due to scheduling your final itinerary may need to be adjusted to accommodate attending a match.) DAY 4 Wednesday, 17 April 2019 Today we will travel to nearby Sintra. At only half an hour from Lisbon, the beautiful town of Sintra is dotted with historic palaces and surrounded by wooded hills. The town which was once the favourite summer residence of the Kings of Portugal, has been internationally acclaimed by poets and artists over the years and was declared a UNESCO world heritage site for its Cultural Landscape in 1995. PALACE OF PENA Visit the spectacular Palace of Peña, built in the 19th century as King Ferdinand s summer home. King Ferdinand loved art, nature and new inventions, which is reflected in the interior of this enchanting palace that is filled with oddities from all over the world. Explore the park that surrounds the palace. You will have some free time to explore the area. FIRST FRIENDLY MATCH DAY 5 Thursday, 18 April 2019 BENEFICA - ESTADIO DA LUZ TOUR Take a guided tour of Estadio da Luz, home to Benfica. The stadium reflects the greatness of its host club and is the biggest and most modern sports venue in Portugal. Since its inauguration, the stadium has received over 11 million spectators and countless matches and events. During our tour we will travel through the Cathedral of a thousand emotions. Highlights of our tour will include the Dressing Rooms, the Presidential Tribune VIP area, the Press Conference Room, the Players' Tunnel, the Pitch and Bench, and the Eagle Vitoria, Benfica's mascot and symbol, which flies around the stadium and presents an awe-inspiring sight and a unique moment for all fans. Our tour concludes as we travel back in time through the Benfica Museum, featuring memorabilia form its storied history. You will have free time to wander through the museum. SECOND FRIENDLY MATCH 2
DAY 6 Friday, 19 April 2019 TRAINING SESSION Participate in a Training Session at a local field in the Lisbon area. The training session will be led by your own coaching staff and is designed to prepare the team for upcoming friendly matches. (Training sessions may be in the morning, afternoon or evening and will be determined by the final hotel location, field availability, and the schedule of activities for the day.) FREE TIME AT THE BEACH Spend some time relaxing on one of Lisbon's magnificent beaches. Enjoy the sand, sun and watch the surfers as you relax for the day. The beaches have numerous activities available for everyone to enjoy. DAY 7 Saturday, 20 April 2019 This morning we will have breakfast at the hotel. WALKING TOUR OF BELEM Take a Walking tour of Belem to explore Portugal s former glory, expressed in the areas imposing and exuberant buildings. During our walk we will view the Praca do Imperio, the Archeological Museum, and the Palacio de Belem. MOSTEIRO DOS JERONIMOS Tour the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, a monastery ordered by Manuel the Fortunate to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. The monastery is one of Portugal s finest examples of Manueline architecture that combines flamboyant Gothic and Moorish influences with elements of the nascent Renaissance. The church features tombs of many of the great figures in Portuguese history, including Vasco da Gama. THIRD FRIENDLY MATCH DAY 8 Sunday, 21 April 2019 This morning we will have breakfast at the hotel. BIKE TOUR OF LISBON See the sights of Lisbon on wheels! Bike through the cobbled stone streets, through the hills and passed the markets. You will see breathtaking views and ride by the You will have some free time to explore the area. FOURTH FRIENDLY MATCH This evening we will have dinner in the hotel restaurant. 3
DAY 9 Monday, 22 April 2019 Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day. 4
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