Accommodation

14 nights accommodation

Others

Choose between two carefully selected activities Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with a Local Expert and hear how the Jewish community has shaped the city’s history. Seville: See the city’s top sights on a panoramic tour with your Local Expert. Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating commentary. Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you’ll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels. We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door. Madrid: Witness the world’s finest collection of Spanish paintings, plus an impressive international collection, as you tour the Prado Museum with an art historian. Granada: Visit the famous Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. While others wait in line, you’ll be exploring accompanied by a Local Expert, keen to share insights into this Moorish landmark. Seville: The Cristina Heeren Foundation aims to promote the teaching and conservation of flamenco and is a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Meet the students of the foundation, learn some basic flamenco steps, and then feel the passion as they perform an emotional show. The school enables students access to cultural education that otherwise may not have occurred. TreadRights sponsorship has helped students to complete their studies in advanced guitar, singing and dance. As students complete their training, they will carry on and safeguard the traditional flamenco dance, contributing to the protection of Andalusia and Spain’s cultural heritage. The Cristina Heeren Foundation advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Expert. Visit the Old Town, travelling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles, the Cervantes Monument and Royal Palace, before crossing the Puerta del Sol. Segovia: Visit the medieval streets of this fortified city to see the 14th-century Alcazar Palace and extensive Roman aqueduct. Salamanca: See the handsome arcaded Plaza Mayor, the honey-coloured cathedral and the 16th century university buildings as you explore the city with your Local Expert. Porto: See the iconic bridges and buildings decorated in tiles. Lisbon: Explore with your Local Expert, from the Lower Town, beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco. Visit the Belém Quarter to see the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the medieval Belém Tower. Seville: Visit the Seville Cathedral with your Local Expert. Pass the altarpiece dripping with gold and see the Tomb of Columbus, held aloft by four kings. Gibraltar: With your Local Expert, explore the Rock of Gibraltar, one of the pillars of Hercules, affording magnificent views and see the meeting of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Spanish Sierra. Visit St. Michael’s Cave and see the Barbary Apes. Mijas: Journey to this white-washed village and stroll the streets to admire the coastal views. Alfarnatejo: Visit the beautiful, quiet town and walk the town centre. Granada: Explore ’The City of the Pomegranate’ with a Local Expert. During sightseeing you’ll see the icons dedicated to this fruit throughout the city. Valencia: See the ultra-modern Centre of Arts and Sciences and the huge gates of the old town, Torres de Serranos and Torres de Quart. Peñíscola: See the seaside castle featured in the film ’El Cid’. Barcelona: With your Local Expert, drive along the elegant Passeig de Gràcia to witness some of the finest Modernist architecture as you journey through the Eixample district to see Gaudi’s extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerising Sagrada Família. Barcelona: Venture inside Gaudí’s extraordinary masterpiece, the Sagrada Família and marvel at the contrasts of architecture. Above see its giant, tree-like pillars and spectacular vaulting. Admire the wonderful rainbow of the incredible stained-glass windows. Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Transport

Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available). If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport. Enjoy the comfort of Insight’s luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.

Guide

From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination. Obidos: Lead by your Travel Director, walk through the picturesque narrow streets up to the main square of this ancient walled town. Fátima: Led by your Travel Director, explore the pilgrimage site that attracts nearly seven million faithful visitors every year.

Meals

5 Dinner with Wine (DW) 14 Breakfast (B) 2 Lunch with Wine (LW) Madrid: Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travellers over a beautiful evening of delicious food and wine. Vila Nova de Gaia: Sample a selection of world renowned Port wines during a tour and tasting in the city’s historic wine cellars. Lisbon: Delight in a taste of the famous Portuguese custard tart, Pastéis de Belém, made in a 19th century bakery with the original secret recipe. Torremolinos: Taste a selection of freshly pressed olive oils with locally made farmer bread when you stop at Almazara, the oldest olive grove in the region. Alfarnatejo: Join a local family for a Dine-at-Home lunch featuring traditional recipes. Learn about regional customs and culture through your hosts’ warm hospitality and lively conversation. Valencia: Learn the authentic recipe of paella when you join a local chef for a Cooking Demonstration. Savour the flavours of this classic dish for dinner, washed down with a glass of Sangria, during dinner. Join a wine expert when you visit Cava Dorada. Enjoy a tasting at the great Cava vineyards during your delicious Highlight Lunch. Barcelona: At a typical Catalan restaurant, savour a delicious Celebration Dinner that incorporates classic cooking with the freshest produce.

Not included:

Insurance

Travel Insurance is not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Flights

International flights are not included

Others

Other activities and services are not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Welcome To Madrid
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Welcome To Madrid

Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for dinner in a local restaurant and enjoy an evening of delicious food and wine.
Day 2 Day 2: Madrid Of The Bourbons
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Madrid Of The Bourbons

Guided by your Local Expert, visit the Spanish capital’s most historic neighbourhoods. 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.
Day 3 Day 3: Segovia And Golden Salamanca
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Segovia And Golden Salamanca

Travel to the fortified city of Segovia. Walk through the medieval streets with a Local Expert and see the magnificent Alcazar fortress, before continuing onto the historic aqueduct. Journey west, overlooking the ancient walls of Ávila, en route to Salamanca. During your guided sightseeing tour, admire the golden stone buildings the city is famous for, including the arcaded Plaza Mayor, the honey-coloured cathedral and the 16th century university buildings.
Day 4 Day 4: Porto, Grande Dame On The Douro
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Porto, Grande Dame On The Douro

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-coloured houses, churches adorned with glazed tiles and iconic bridges.
Day 5 Day 5: Holy Fátima, Ancient Óbidos And Lisbon Relaxed Start
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Holy Fátima, Ancient Óbidos And Lisbon Relaxed Start

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 houses are covered with flowers. Your travels continue to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
Day 6 Day 6: Lisbon And The Age Of The Great Discoveries
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Lisbon And The Age Of The Great Discoveries

Sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the spacious avenues of the Lower Town and beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco, the finest square in the city. Visit the Belém Quarter, from where sailing ships once set forth to discover faraway lands. Enjoy a taste of the famous Pastéis de Belém from a traditional patisserie that has managed to hold on to the secret recipe of Portugal’s finest pastry for almost 200 years. View the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the historic Belém Tower. This fortress was originally set in the middle of the river, but is now left high and dry on the riverbank. 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.
Day 7 Day 7: Seville, The City Of Carmen
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Seville, The City Of Carmen

Leave Lisbon via the modern Tagus Bridge and cross the border to reach Seville. Visit the Seville Cathedral, the burial place of Christopher Columbus.Explore Seville with Insight Choice. Choose to embark on a walk through the old Jewish quarter. Alternatively, join a scenic drive around the city and enjoy panoramic views.
Day 8 Day 8: Free Time And Flamenco In Seville Relaxed Start
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Free Time And Flamenco In Seville Relaxed Start

Enjoy a relaxed start and a morning to unwind, shop or continue exploring this fascinating city at your own pace. Our suggestion is to join an Optional Experience to the ancient city of Córdoba, where you will visit the magnificent Mezquita, see the old Jewish Quarter, and enjoy some free time to shop or explore as you wish. Later this afternoon, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you visit the Cristina Heeren Foundation, a flamenco dance school and beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Their mission is to promote the teaching and conservation of flamenco. Feel the passion behind the choreography as you put your rhythm to the test during a dance lesson.
Day 9 Day 9: Head For Gibraltar, Mijas And The Costa Del Sol
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Head For Gibraltar, Mijas And The Costa Del Sol

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. Your journey continues through the green hills to the white-washed village of Mijas. Stroll through the old streets and gardens, taking in the views of the coast.
Day 10 Day 10: At Leisure On The Costa Del Sol Relaxed Start
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: At Leisure On The Costa Del Sol Relaxed Start

Enjoy the day at leisure on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol. Relax by the blue Mediterranean waters, stroll along the promenade, savour the specialities in the local restaurants or consider exploring Málaga, the birth city of Picasso.
Day 11 Day 11: Dining With Locals And The Alhambra Relaxed Start
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Dining With Locals And The Alhambra Relaxed Start

Continue to Alfarnatejo, a quiet whitewashed village, with a population of less than 500 people, surrounded by stunning mountainous landscape. Walk the town centre 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 flavours 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.
Day 12 Day 12: On To Valencia
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: On To Valencia

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 flavours of this classic dish at dinner.
Day 13 Day 13: Along The Coast To Peñíscola And On To Barcelona
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 13: Along The Coast To Peñíscola And On To Barcelona

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.
Day 14 Day 14: Barcelona Sightseeing Relaxed Start
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 14: Barcelona Sightseeing Relaxed Start

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 travellers to toast to newfound friends and a wonderful journey, enjoying a Celebration Dinner with wine.
Day 15 Day 15: Depart For Madrid
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 15: Depart For Madrid

Today, bid farewell to your journey across Spain and Portugal as you transfer from Barcelona to Madrid.

+12

15 days tour

Best Of Spain And Portugal (Small Groups, End Madrid, 15 Day

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Itinerary of your trip Best Of Spain And Portugal (Small Groups, End Madrid, 15 Day

Day 1: Welcome To Madrid

Day 2: Madrid Of The Bourbons

Day 3: Segovia And Golden Salamanca

Day 4: Porto, Grande Dame On The Douro

Day 5: Holy Fátima, Ancient Óbidos And Lisbon Relaxed Start

Day 6: Lisbon And The Age Of The Great Discoveries

Day 7: Seville, The City Of Carmen

Day 8: Free Time And Flamenco In Seville Relaxed Start

Day 9: Head For Gibraltar, Mijas And The Costa Del Sol

Day 10: At Leisure On The Costa Del Sol Relaxed Start

Day 11: Dining With Locals And The Alhambra Relaxed Start

Day 12: On To Valencia

Day 13: Along The Coast To Peñíscola And On To Barcelona

Day 14: Barcelona Sightseeing Relaxed Start

Day 15: Depart For Madrid

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