2027 GNAC Senior Portugal Trip

Dates: May 12-21, 2027

Previous Portugal Eurobasket Tour Video

Total Cost: $4150

Head Coach: Matt Thune, Alaska Anchorage

Friends, family, and significant others of the players on the trip are welcome to join if they like. The cost is per traveler.

Includes: Flights, Hotels, Transportation, Local Guide, all Group tourist activities, and all basketball activities

May 12

Depart Seattle (or other airport) on a flight to Lisbon, Portugal. 

May 13

Arrive in capital city of Lisbon, Portugal early to mid-morning. The hotel will be located near the city center by the Marques de Pombal monument and circle in Lisbon. Travelers will be given the chance to either rest after the long travel day or head out and explore the new surroundings near the hotel. The Avenue da Liberdade is a short stroll from the hotel and is the most known shopping district in Portugal for higher end items.

In the evening, we will walk through the city to the popular Timeout Market and Pink Street. The market features an array of 35+ local restaurants, while Pink Street is a row of bars that travelers can hop through. Travelers can stay out as long as they wish. No curfews or limits given. The guide will return to the hotel at a given hour and anybody ready to go can with with them.

May 14

Travelers will head to the Historic City of Sintra. Sintra is world known for its architecture palaces, castles, and town square. Rumor has it that the water and air quality enhance creativity which attracts authors around the world to come and stay. J.K. Rowling was even a resident as she was writing the Harry Potter Series.

Travelers will have tickets to enter the Pena Palace and Moorish Castle. The palace and castle date back to the 15th century of Portuguese history. The palace is the former royal home for Portuguese leaders, while the Castle sits across the hill as the protection quarters of the palace. The views from the castle walls are priceless!

The 1st basketball practice will take place in preparation for the games to come. 

May 15

This day will be more of a free day. We will have a shootaround in the morning and our 1st game day! The games in the evening will be against Quinta Dos Lombos (the National Runner Up in 2026) for the women and a selection of professional players combining together for the men.

In between shootaround and the games, travelers will have the freedom to explore Lisbon at their own pace as the city is built on a series of hills. The city districts of Chiado, Bairro Alto, Baixa, and Rossio are some of the favorites for past travelers.

Travelers can catch the views from Elevador de Santa Justa (Elevated walkway) or Castelo de Sao Jorge (Castle).  

May 16

Our last day in Lisbon, we will set out to explore the beach city of Cascais seeing their old town with narrow streets, seaside cliff views, walking roads with shops and markets, and historic architecture with Fort Walls and Lighthouses. We will spend approximately 5 hours in this area before returning hopping on a charter bus to head to our next location in Povoa de Varzim.

May 17

We will have our first full day in the beach town Povoa de Varzim. Povoa sits along the Atlantic Ocean boasting 2 miles worth of sand beaches, restaurants, and a casino.

Travelers will have a chance to sleep in following the long day of sun and travel. We will host an optional shootaround in the morning with the rest of the day planned for rest and relaxation on the beach.

The evening will feature our 2nd game against CPN for the women and GDAS Braga for the men. CPN is one of the top 2nd division teams in Portugal while GDAS is a mixture of the top league and third league teams in Braga. After the game, travelers will have a chance to test their luck at the Casino da Povoa

May 18

This basketball off day will feature our full tour day in the city of Porto! We will begin our trip with transportation from our hotel to the Douro Marina. From there we will board our 12 passenger sailboats and set sail down the Rio Douro. It is a smooth sail catching the sights from the water.

Following the 1.5 hour cruise, we will be transported to the Gaia Hilltop for a scenic viewpoint and walk across the Ponte Luis I Bridge overlooking the hills and river coast. We will see historic sites like the Porto Cathedral and the old town winding streets before being let free at the riverbend for your own exploration.

Travelers are free to stay in Porto as long as they wish barhopping down the river coast, but the guide and provided transportation will be given a set time. Anybody wishing to leave back to the hotel will be transported and the rest can stay longer and uber back to the hotel.

May 19

This day is another planned rest day for the travelers as we enter one of our toughest basketball tests of the trip. The men's and women's games are both located 1.5 hour drive away in the city of Aveiro against Galitos.

Galitos is 2nd division team for both the men and women. They have historically been at the top of the class in the 2nd division with varying years in the top leagues. Last year our teams had the worst winning percentages on these games. 

May 20

Our final full day on the trip, travelers will have an option of going back into the city of Porto or getting some beach day water activities. We will also have our final games on this day.

For Men - it will be a home game in Povoa against a selected group of professional players from Porto. For women - you will play a game against a top league opponent in Coimbroes. Coimbroes is located 5 minutes away from the main city of Porto.

- If you go to the city. Women meet at the gym or Men need to be back in Povoa 1.5 hours before the game. 

- if you stay in Povoa for the beach and water. You need to notify us if you want to try an experience surfing. It is not automatically set up as it is not something everybody would want to try. Please request this experience by Day 5 so we can set up the lessons. Otherwise, you are free to do whatever plan you prefer. Its your last day enjoy it!!

All games will have full film, stats, and highlights that can be used for promotion to teams and clubs.

May 21

Depart for the United States as our time in Portugal has come to an end. 

Come join our GNAC Eurobasket tour in 2027! Be a part of a truly unique experience to end your college career and possibly have a chance to continue it at the professional level. Its a trip that you will cherish for the rest of your life. We can't wait to work with you!

The Chance to Play Pro:

Meeting with professional teams and coaches is a part of our tours. These interactions provide a unique perspective that no one else in our industry can provide. Getting to interact with professional teams, players, and their staff will give our players the chance to make it at the professional level. 

This unique caveat gives our players a greater chance to be seen by clubs while still being able to explore different cultures and histories. These meetings often inspire players to pursue the professional game more thoroughly and to this day many of our former players are still playing overseas!