Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner in a local restaurant and enjoy an evening of typical madrileño flavors.
Guided by your Local Expert, visit the Spanish capital’s most historic neighborhoods. Your drive continues through the Old Quarter, discovering the origins of the city. Enjoy a special visit to the renowned Prado Museum with an art historian who will guide you through the collective works of Velázquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens and more.
Continue your 15-day Spain and Portugal itinerary with a visit to the fortified city of Segovia. Walk through the medieval streets with a Local Expert and see the magnificent Alcazar fortress, before continuing to the historic aqueduct. Journey west, overlooking the ancient walls of Ávila, en route to Salamanca. During your guided sightseeing tour of Salamanca, admire the golden stone buildings the city is famous for, including the arcaded Plaza Mayor, the honey-colored cathedral and the 16th century university buildings.
Cross the Portuguese border to reach Porto. Situated on the River Douro, the city is celebrated internationally as the capital of Port wine. Visit the Vila Nova de Gaia wine stores and walk along corridors of casks. Get to know your tawnys and vintages during a tasting. Continue your exploration of the city, admiring the multi-colored houses, churches adorned with glazed tiles and iconic bridges.
Continue to Fátima, Portugal’s most renowned place of pilgrimage. Journey to the fortified town of Óbidos and walk within its walls, exploring the narrow, medieval streets where you can stop for a tasting of locally made cherry liqueur. Your guided tour of Spain and Portugal continues to Lisbon, where this evening you may choose to join an Optional Experience at a family-run restaurant known for traditional Portuguese seafood.
Sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the spacious avenues of the Lower Town and around the Pombal Square. Visit the Belém Quarter, whence sailing ships set forth to explore uncharted ocean and land. Enjoy a taste of the famous Pastéis de Belém from a traditional patisserie that has upheld the secret recipe of Portugal's finest pastry for almost 200 years. View the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the historic Belém Tower. Visit the National Coach Museum, featuring one of the most prominent horse-drawn carriage collections in the world. With the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps join an Optional Experience to the Portuguese Riviera, frequented by surfers, royalty and, on occasion, James Bond.
Depart Portugal this morning and journey into the sun-drenched Algarve, pausing in one of the picturesque towns for a leisurely lunch and a tranquil glimpse into southern Portugal’s coastal charm. From here, cross the border into Spain and continue through the changing landscapes of Andalucía, arriving in Seville by late afternoon. The evening is yours to relax, or you may wish to join an Optional Experience: Andalusian Evening & the Atmosphere of Old Seville, where traditional cuisine and music capture the spirit of this vibrant city.
Enjoy a relaxed start or choose to join one of two Optional Experiences: admire the architectural elegance of Pilatos Palace, or explore the Alcázar of Seville and nearby Plaza América, home to graceful pavilions from the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition. Continue exploring with Insight Choice. Choose to stroll through the atmospheric Santa Cruz Quarter with a Local Expert, or sit back and enjoy a scenic drive taking in the city's iconic landmarks. Later, visit the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. In the evening, take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Cristina Heeren Foundation. Try your hand at flamenco during a lively dance lesson, then witness this expressive art form brought vividly to life in a passionate performance.
Head south to Gibraltar, part of mainland Spain yet an overseas territory under British control since 1704. With your Local Expert, visit the Rock of Gibraltar and St. Michael’s Cave. Relax as you travel the scenic route along the Costa del Sol through high end resorts where the rich and famous holiday, taking in the views of the coast.
Enjoy the day at leisure on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol. Relax by the blue Mediterranean waters, stroll along the promenade, savor the specialties in the local restaurants or consider exploring Málaga, the birth city of Picasso.
Continue to Alfarnatejo, a quiet whitewashed village, with a population of less than 500 people, surrounded by stunning mountainous landscape. Walk the town center to see the 18th century Iglesia del Santo Cristo de Cabrilla. Travel to the oldest olive grove in the region and stop at the rural mill-factory to taste a selection of different oils, paired with locally made farmer bread. In small groups, you are invited into the home of a local family to join them for a delicious lunch made of fresh, local produce with flavors typical of the region. Continue to Granada to visit the magnificent Alhambra Palace with your Local Expert. Built as a citadel by the Moors in the 13th century, it is a wonder of beautiful gardens, fountains and stone cut like lace.
Journey to Valencia. Pass through the Old City to see its ancient gates, and the City of Arts and Sciences. In your free time perhaps take a stroll to the Cathedral and El Miguelete? Alternatively sit back with a drink and watch the Valencians go about their day. Valencia is home to one of the world's greatest dishes, paella. Meet the chef of a local family-run restaurant in the heart of the Old City and learn how to make this local specialty during a Cooking Demonstration. Later, indulge in the delicious flavors of this classic dish at dinner.
Follow the coast to Peñíscola to view the sea-lapped castle used in the film 'El Cid'. Continue along the Costa Dorada to the Cava Bodegas at Sant Sadurni d'Anoia. During a delicious light lunch, enjoy a tasting as you learn the sparkling secrets of Spanish bubbly. Continue along the coast to reach Barcelona.
A Local Expert joins you for a drive along the Passeig de Gràcia, adorned with elegant wrought-iron street lamps and some of the most flamboyant Modernist buildings. Continue through the Eixample district to visit Gaudi’s extraordinary masterpiece, the Sagrada Família*. See the central nave with its giant, tree-like pillars, spectacular vaulting and the beautiful rainbows flooding in through the intricate stained-glass windows. At a local restaurant, join your fellow travelers for dinner to toast to newfound friends and a two-week in-depth exploration of the Iberian Peninsula. *As construction of the Sagrada Família nears completion, access may occasionally be restricted due to special masses, pilgrim visits or official ceremonies. If tickets are unavailable during your tour, you will visit the Hospital de Sant Pau, a stunning example of Catalan Art Nouveau by Domènech i Montaner. You will then join your Local Expert to admire the extraordinary exterior of Gaudí’s iconic basilica.
Today, bid farewell to your journey across Spain and Portugal as you transfer from Barcelona to Madrid.
