Highlights of Spain & Portugal

Your vacation begins in beautiful Barcelona, the capital of Spain's Catalonia, where we meet the Tour Manager at our central hotel. Checking in to our hotel mid-afternoon we can look out across Barcelona's unique skyline, including the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral, which we visit on Day 3.

The beating pulse of this dynamic city is its colorful art, Modernist streets and fabulous Gothic Quarter. Besides which, Barcelona offers a rich culture, cuisine, and beautiful beaches. After checking in, you are at leisure to explore this exciting city and to choose a place to enjoy dinner independently.

Overnight Barcelona.

After breakfast we are introduced to Barcelona on a walking tour. Our guide shows us the atmospheric Gothic Quarter, and Las Ramblas, a pedestrianized avenue with street musicians, entertainers, and vendors of art and books. Our tour ends at La Boqueria, the city's fresh produce market, where we enjoy a drinks tasting. From here, you are free to continue sightseeing.

Art lovers could visit the Picasso museum in the Gothic Quarter or Gaudi's fabulous Park Guell, overlooking the city. The 18th-century residential area of Barceloneta exudes Catalan coastal charm, with leafy squares surrounded by bustling bodegas. If you enjoy beach strolling you could start from here and walk as far as you wish, maybe stopping at a chiringuito (beach café) for lunch enroute. Barcelona's metro system is regular and reliable so you could always ride back, for example from the trendy district of Poblenou, a former fishing village, a couple of kilometers along the beach. Another place to visit is the expansive park on a hill above the city, where you'll find the Montjüic Castle, the National Art Museum and amazing views.

Overnight Barcelona.

• Breakfast

After plenty of time for breakfast, we visit the Sagrada Familia this morning where entrance to the building is included, with ample time to take in the extraordinary details of the structure - the light streaming through its stained glass windows, its carved facades, soaring columns and three-dimensional ceiling artwork.

Nearly 150 years of construction have led to the grand basilica, a crowning jewel of Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia - a vision of Spain's most famous architect, Gaudí. This is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, which is scheduled to be completed during 2026. Although the labors and craftsmanship continue to this day, what has been created so far is nothing short of a masterpiece.

After viewing this magnificent building, the rest of your day is free, with the opportunity to enjoy other treasures of Barcelona. Whether you choose to seek out art and architecture, stroll through the municipal park, or sample the local flavors, there are many ways to enjoy this wonderful city. We meet up again for dinner at a local restaurant this evening.

Overnight Barcelona.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our morning starts after breakfast with a coach transfer to the station before a high-speed rail journey to Spain's capital city, Madrid. Arriving this afternoon, we transfer to our elegant hotel, northwest of the city center. After checking in, the rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the city.

You could begin by discovering the local neighborhood, maybe walking down to the Plaza de Espana - a grand square with a sculpture of the celebrated writer, Miguel Cervantes - or wander a little further down to Gran Via, the city's main fashion street. Other nearby landmarks include the Temple of Debod - an ancient Nubian temple from the 2nd century BC, donated by the Egyptian state to Spain in 1968 - the Sabatini Gardens, and the city's Contemporary Art Museum. If you'd like to see more of downtown Madrid, the city has a regular and efficient Metro service so it's easy to get around.

This evening, we meet up before dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight Madrid.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Soon after breakfast, we set out with an expert guide on a tour by coach. We take in some of Madrid's most glorious sites, including the Prado museum, the vast El Retiro park - a UNESCO World Heritage site, once a private garden for Spain's monarchy - and other monuments. 

At the end of our tour we have lunch at a local restaurant before visiting Madrid's impressive Royal Palace. Entry to the palace and gardens is included and afterwards you are free to explore the palace interior, known for its extravagant décor and paintings by artists including Francisco de Goya, Caravaggio and Velazquez.

The rest of the day is free to spend as you wish. You could enjoy a relaxing afternoon in El Retiro park, which has a rose garden, an ornamental boating lake, several cafés and a constant stream of street entertainers.

When it's time for dinner, Madrid offers a variety of cuisine, from traditional Spanish dishes to international fare. Choose nearby Gran Via or the Salamanca district, or hop on the Metro into the heart of the city.

Overnight Madrid. 

• Breakfast, Lunch

A morning at leisure provides a chance to seek out any remaining places you'd like to see in Madrid, or to simply take it easy. Around midday, our coach takes us to the station where we board the high-speed train heading south, towards Andalucía and the celebrated city of Granada. As before, our luggage follows us on the coach.

There is plenty to enjoy on the journey as this scenic route takes us across the vast plains of central Spain, through hilly regions of olive groves and vineyards, to the snow-capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada which provide a dramatic backdrop for Granada's Alhambra. Arriving in this alluring city this afternoon, there's time to unwind and freshen up at our hotel before dinner this evening.

Overnight Granada.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we visit the breathtaking Alhambra itself. Once the residence of Moorish leaders, this spectacular palace complex sits on a plateau overlooking the city, with the Sierra Nevada mountains behind. The Alhambra holds World Heritage status for its outstanding aesthetic value as the world's only preserved palatine city of the Islamic period and the best example of its architecture.

We walk through a series of palaces with carved wooden ceilings, colorful mosaics and intricate plasterwork and enter the 14th-century 'Generalife', once a summer palace and country estate of the sultans. Following our tour we enjoy a typical tapas lunch, before visiting the Albaicín, previously the Moorish quarters of the city, also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

After looking around, you could return to our hotel with the coach or continue exploring here, where you will find Moroccan-style tea gardens, bohemian bars and craft shops. A must-visit spot is the Mirador de San Nicolas, a wide terraced with views up to the Alhambra and a popular spot to see flamenco players. Tonight you are free to dine independently.

Overnight Granada.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Today we travel by motorcoach to the next Moorish city on our itinerary - Córdoba. Leaving shortly after breakfast, our journey takes around two hours.

Córdoba was once the largest metropolis in Western Europe and is another remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site. On arrival, there is time to look around independently and admire the impressive ancient buildings, including the Alcazar palace guarded by palm trees, and to find lunch independently before entering the city's most famous landmark, La Mezquita.

Considered one of the greatest remaining works of Islamic architecture in the world, La Mezquita was originally a mosque but has been transformed over the centuries since Andalucia was reclaimed by the Spanish crown. Today, its interior includes dozens of chapels and Christian iconography.

After touring this impressive site, we continue our journey by motor coach to our third Andalusian city, Seville. Arriving this evening, after checking in, we dine at our hotel.

Overnight Seville.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The capital of Andalucía, a region rich in both Moorish and Christian heritage, Seville is renowned for its flamenco tradition, tapas bars and vibrant culture. The city's magnificent buildings reflect many layers of history, from Arabesque to Gothic architecture and often combines the two.

This morning we tour the city with a local guide, seeing Seville's magnificent Gothic Catholic cathedral, where the remains of Christopher Columbus are interred. The cathedral replaced the mosque in the 15th-century but original features remain including the courtyard, Patio de los Naranjos and the famous bell tower (La Giralda) which is built around the mosque's minaret. Entrance is included at the cathedral and you may wish to climb to the bell tower.

During our tour we are also shown the Real Alcázar, or Royal Palace, and the flamboyant Plaza de España, completed in the 1920s, which pays tribute to Baroque and Neo-Mudéjar styles of architecture. With time at leisure, you could choose to look around the Alcázar and its peaceful gardens, before meeting again to watch a traditional flamenco show, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight Seville.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we set off by coach on a leisurely journey towards Portugal's capital, Lisbon. Our scenic route takes us west from Andalucía across rugged plains to the rolling hills of Lisbon, with stops along the way for refreshments and lunch. You will know we are approaching the city when its brightly painted yellow, orange and terracotta-tiled buildings come into view.

Seafood, music and history are all bountiful here. Once we have checked in at our hotel, you are free to relax and look around the local neighborhood to see some of the sights independently before meeting up for dinner this evening. Overnight Lisbon.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Following breakfast at our hotel, today's excursion by coach is a four-hour tour of Lisbon's highlights, from its vast and impressive squares to its hilly, cobbled streets, celebrated monuments and amazing viewpoints. Led by a local expert, we visit the classic sights of the city. Among the districts we see is the traditional quarter of Alfama, with its characterful narrow streets and local craft shops, and the popular area of Baixa, with its vast squares such as Rossio Square and Trade Square.

Following our sightseeing tour, you are at leisure to continue enjoying the sights and surroundings of Lisbon and are free to dine independently this evening. You may like to visit the São Jorge Castle (Saint George's castle) at sunset, or visit one of the city's many 'miradouros' (look out points) for breathtaking views over the Tagus river or to the sea.

Overnight Lisbon.

• Breakfast

Today we spend an intriguing morning seeing another side of Lisbon. The neighborhood of Belém has great historic significance as it grew around the docks where ships were built and launched during the Age of Exploration in the 15th-century. The coastal district is also famous for its grand villas and as the birthplace of the Portuguese egg custard tart. Our tour includes a look around the cloisters of Jerónimos Monastery, known as the Cloisters of Belém. We also visit a café to sample one of Belém's renowned pastries with coffee.

Following our tour, there is time at leisure this afternoon to continue exploring on your own or to relax before meeting for the final dinner of our vacation. This evening, dinner is accompanied by uniquely Portuguese entertainment - a live fado show. Fado is a traditional type of song dating back to 1820s Lisbon which is still popular today. The lyrics and melancholy tempo of the music is characterized by themes of loss, life at sea, and longing (known as 'saudade' in Portugal).

Overnight Lisbon.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our tour of the Highlights of Spain & Portugal has taken us from Spain's Mediterranean city of Barcelona, across the vibrant plains of Andalucía, to Portugal's stunning capital, Lisbon. We have experienced the breathtaking Sagrada Familia, Granada's Moorish treasure, the Alhambra, and Córdoba's fascinating mosque-cathedral La Mezquita. Our vacation has included flamenco, fado and plenty of fabulous sights. Following breakfast this morning, your vacation comes to an end and you are free to continue your journey home.

• Breakfast