Alpine Adventures · Group Travel

Malta to Portugal

Bookend your Royal Clipper sailing with Valletta’s honey-stone streets and Lisbon’s seven hills.
Pre & Post Extensions  ·  Royal Clipper Sailing Oct 26 – Nov 5, 2027
Explore —
A Note from Max

Make the sailing the middle, not the whole story.

Our Royal Clipper sailing from Malta to Portugal — Oct 26 to Nov 5, 2027 — is going to be one of those journeys that changes how you think about cruising. A five-masted square-rigger; 5,202 m² of sail at full canvas; the largest true sailing ship in active service per the Guinness World Records. And the Royal Clipper’s port of registry is Valletta — she literally calls Malta home. There’s a real poetry in starting your sailing from the ship’s own home port.

I’ve built two optional extensions that bookend the sailing so the trip becomes a complete story instead of just a transit. The pre-trip puts you in Valletta for two nights at The Vincent Boutique Hotel. The post-trip rolls the group through Lisbon, Sintra, and Porto across three nights at H10 Duque de Loué and NH Collection Porto Batalha. Both are optional — do the pre, the post, both, or neither.

Pre-trip is $870 per person on double occupancy ($1,170 single). Post-trip pricing is being finalized and needs a minimum of 10 participants to run — that’s the reason for the July 1, 2026 deadline. Express your interest with one email to me at max@alpineadventures.ski — or use the registration buttons at the bottom of this page. Questions before you commit, just send me a note.

Maxine Jensen
Group Travel Manager · Alpine Adventures
max@alpineadventures.ski
The Connecting Adventure
Royal Clipper · Malta to Lisbon
October 26 — November 5, 2027 · 10 nights at sea

The Royal Clipper is the unifying experience that the extensions wrap around. Built on the lines of the 1902 windjammer Preussen, modernized with Caterpillar diesels but still designed for sail. 227 passengers, 106 crew — intimate enough that the captain knows your name by Day 2. The Oct 26 – Nov 5 itinerary departs Valletta’s Grand Harbour and tracks the Mediterranean west toward Portugal, threading the kind of small-port destinations that big cruise ships can’t reach. This proposal is about the extensions that turn the sailing into a complete European arc.

Act One · Pre-Trip Extension
Malta · Valletta
October 24 — 26, 2027 · 2 nights
BW Premier Collection · 4☆ Boutique
The Vincent Boutique Hotel
Old Hospital Street · Valletta VLT 1643, Malta
Your Hotel

A 17th-century townhouse, quietened.

Fourteen suites, each one different. A peaceful retreat in a quiet corner of Valletta — the rooftop pool faces the Grand Harbour.

Check-in
Sunday, Oct 24, 2027
Check-out
Tuesday, Oct 26, 2027
Duration
2 nights
Room category
Standard Room · ~280 sqft
Building
17th-century townhouse
Style
BW Premier Collection

The Vincent is named for Vincent Montanaro — born in 1934 in the Manderággio quarter of Valletta — whose memory the property carries. The building has been restored as a fourteen-suite boutique hotel under the BW Premier Collection, Best Western’s luxury tier, with each room individually designed. Bold modern interiors quietly held within stone-walled Maltese architecture.

What it does well: breakfast in the courtyard under morning light; a rooftop pool open through October overlooking Valletta and the harbour; the kind of small-property service where the front desk learns your name on arrival. Old Hospital Street is one of the historic capital’s quieter addresses — you’re moments from St. John’s Co-Cathedral, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, and the historic Grand Harbour, but you sleep in stillness.

The Vincent courtyard The Vincent breakfast The Vincent rooftop pool
The Two-Night Itinerary

Welcome dinner. City walk. Free time for what you want.

Sun, Oct 24 · Arrival
Fly out of the US on Oct 23 — arrive Malta International Airport (MLA) on Oct 24. Private transfer from the airport to The Vincent. Check in and settle. Welcome dinner at a local restaurant in Valletta tonight (included — main course with side, dessert, water, glass of wine, coffee or tea) — meet the rest of the group.
Mon, Oct 25 · Walking Tour of Valletta + Free Afternoon
Breakfast at The Vincent. Morning walking tour with a professional English-speaking guide through Valletta’s historic center — a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded by the Knights of St. John after the Great Siege of 1565. Panoramic views from the Upper Barrakka Gardens over the Grand Harbour, and entrance to St. John’s Co-Cathedral & Caravaggio Museum. Free afternoon to explore Republic Street, Merchant Street, or rest at the hotel.
Tue, Oct 26 · Embarkation
Breakfast at The Vincent. Group transfer by private minibus from the hotel directly to the Valletta cruise port for embarkation on the Royal Clipper. The sailing begins.

What’s Included

Pre-Trip Investment
$870 per person
Based on double occupancy · Single supplement +$300 ($1,170 single)
Express interest by
July 1, 2026
The Vincent Hotel
Act Two · Post-Trip Extension
Portugal · Lisbon · Sintra · Porto
November 5 — 8, 2027 · 3 nights
Three Cities, Three Nights

Lisbon · Sintra + Cabo da Roca + Cascais · Porto via Coimbra

Portugal’s headline arc — the capital with its Belém custard tarts, the medieval hilltop palace at Sintra and the westernmost point of mainland Europe, plus the port-wine town with a stop at Coimbra’s 1290 university along the way.

Fri, Nov 5 · Lisbon · Panoramic Tour
Group transfer from the Royal Clipper to H10 Duque de Loué in central Lisbon. Drop bags. Panoramic city tour by coach with a local expert guide covering São Jorge Castle, the Cathedral (Sé de Lisboa), and the Basílica da Estrela. Continue to the iconic Belém district — Belém Tower (1519, the fortress guarding the river entrance to the city) and the legendary Pastéis de Belém for what locals consider the best custard tarts in Portugal. Lunch at an emblematic local restaurant. Free afternoon to continue exploring at leisure. Overnight at H10 Duque de Loué.
Sat, Nov 6 · Sintra + Cabo da Roca + Cascais
Departure to Sintra with an official private guide. Entrance to the Sintra National Palace — the medieval royal residence rebuilt by King João I and enriched by King Manuel I. Free time to explore the village. Return to Lisbon via the scenic westerly coast, with a stop at Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of mainland Europe) and Cascais — a quaint fishing town of outstanding architectural beauty. Lunch at leisure in Sintra or by Guincho beach. Free afternoon back in Lisbon. Group dinner this evening and overnight at H10 Duque de Loué.
Sun, Nov 7 · Lisbon → Coimbra → Porto
Breakfast, check out, and depart north toward Porto (~3-hour drive), with a meaningful visit en route to Coimbra — a riverside university town on the banks of the Mondego, once the capital of Portugal, presided over by a UNESCO World Heritage university (founded 1290, the first in Portugal). Explore the medieval old town and the historic University of Coimbra, see Penedo da Saudade (where heartbroken King Pedro mourned the murder of his beloved Inês), and walk the colorful glass-sided Pedro & Inês bridge with its views over the river. Continue to Porto and check in at NH Collection Porto Batalha. Panoramic overview of the iconic Luis I bridge on arrival (twin-level metal arched bridge from 1886, conceived by the team behind the Eiffel Company). After settling in, a more detailed visit: Casa do Infante (Henry the Navigator’s birthplace), the breathtaking azulejo tile mosaics at São Bento train station (~20,000 tiles depicting the history of transportation in Portugal), and the world-famous Lello bookshop on Rua das Carmelitas (1906 Art Nouveau, double-spiral wooden staircase, stained-glass skylight; J.K. Rowling lived in Porto and is widely believed to have drawn inspiration here). End with a Port wine cellar visit and tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia across the river. Evening at leisure in Porto. Overnight at NH Collection Porto Batalha.
Mon, Nov 8 · Departure
Breakfast at NH Collection Porto Batalha. Free time in Porto before transfer to Porto Airport (OPO) for return flights to the US or onward journeys — subject to your flight schedule. Porto Airport has direct service to Lisbon and major European hubs.
2 Nights in Lisbon · Nov 5 & 6
H10 Duque de Loué
4☆ Superior Boutique · Central Lisbon

The H10 Duque de Loué is a 4-star superior boutique hotel set in a carefully restored 18th-century building in central Lisbon — close to Marquês de Pombal and Avenida da Liberdade. Traditional Portuguese azulejo features blend with modern facilities; a scenic terrace looks out over Lisbon and the Tagus Estuary. Two nights here bracket the Sintra day-trip.

H10 Duque de Loué
Day Trip · Friday Nov 6
Sintra
Sintra National Palace · Cabo da Roca · Cascais
1 Night in Porto · Nov 7
NH Collection Porto Batalha
Praça da Batalha · 18th-Century Palace

NH Collection Porto Batalha sits on Praça da Batalha in the heart of Porto’s historic center — a short walk to São Bento Station and the iconic Ribeira district. The building is an 18th-century palace that has variously been a family home, a hospital, and the city’s main post office. The historic red facade and original lobby granite arches are preserved; the 107 rooms are bright and modern.

NH Collection Porto Batalha

Post-Trip What’s Included

Post-Trip Investment
Pricing Coming Soon
Subject to 10-participant minimum · final rate confirmed before deadline
Express interest by
July 1, 2026
Why the Pricing Is Still Open
The post-trip needs a minimum of 10 participants to run. Final per-person pricing locks in once we have the 10-person commitment. Express your interest by July 1, 2026 and Max will confirm the final pricing.
Pricing Summary

What this program costs

The pre-trip is a fixed-rate program at $870 per person double / $1,170 single. The post-trip pricing is being finalized and confirms once 10 participants are committed — your express-interest email is what triggers that count.

Not Included
International airfare to Malta and home from Porto, the Royal Clipper sailing itself, travel insurance (strongly recommended), meals not specified on the itinerary, personal excursions, gratuities, and incidentals. Max can arrange flights and travel insurance on request.
Registration Window
Express your interest by July 1, 2026 — one email to max@alpineadventures.ski
Register Your Interest

Pick the extension(s) and email Max

Each button below composes a pre-filled registration email. Add your name and occupancy preference and hit send.

Register · Pre-Trip Malta
Registration email for the Malta pre-trip (Oct 24-26, 2027).
Register · Post-Trip Portugal
Registration email for the Portugal post-trip (Nov 5-8, 2027).