Tour

Amazing Spain & Portugal - Small Group, Summer
from USD 3575

Insight Vacations

Tour Code: SE300ZM19
Vacation Type: Regional
Brochure:
Duration: 9 Days
Countries: Spain, Portugal

From walking the cobblestone streets of a former Roman colony to tasting a decadent 'Pastel de Nata' tart made from a 200-year-old secret recipe, this 9-day guided tour allows you to embrace the best of old-world Spain and Portugal. Listen as metal sizzles in a master artisan’s hands as he teaches you the craft of Damascene. In Granada, wander the fragrant and arabesque gardens of the Alhambra Palace. Learn the art of flamenco dancing, stomping your feet to the sounds of an acoustic guitar, in a private lesson with professionals in Seville. Then, cross the Portuguese border to scale a 16th-century fortress in Lisbon and visit Fátima, Portugal's most holy site. Finally, raise a glass and say ¡salud! to these ancient wonders during a celebration feast in Madrid.



Amazing Spain & Portugal Guided Tour Map

Transfer Airport

  • Arrival Transfer Madrid Airport to Hotel
  • Departure Transfer Hotel to Madrid Airport

Td Tips

  • Prepaid Gratuities E300 Small Group

Transfer Airport

  • ARR Chargeable Transfer Madrid Airport to Hotel
  • DEP Chargeable Transfer Hotel to Madrid Airport

Dining Summary

  • 3 Dinner with Wine (DW)
  • 8 Breakfast (B)

Choice Highlights

  • Choose between two carefully selected activities
  • Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
  • Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.

Additional Included Highlights

  • : 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.
  • : From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
  • : 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.

Authentic Dining

  • Madrid: Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travellers over a beautiful evening of delicious food and wine.
  • Lisbon: Delight in a taste of the famous Portuguese delicacy, Pastéis de Belém.
  • Madrid: With good food and wine, toast the culmination of your travels during a fabulous Celebration Dinner.

Insight Experiences

  • Toledo: At a Damascene workshop, meet a master artisan for a personal insight into this ancient craft. Witness firsthand their precision as they inlay gold and silver into iron, using a chisel and a hammer.
  • 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.

Make Travel Matter

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.

Top Rated Highlights

  • Toledo: Explore this magnificent ancient city with your Local Expert and visit the Church of Santo Tomé to see an El Greco masterpiece.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
  • Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.
  • Évora: With your Travel Director explore the ancient city of Évora and visit the fascinating Capela dos Ossos, meaning the Chapel of Bones, a chapel decorated with human remains.
  • 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.
  • Fátima: Join the faithful at one of the world's holiest sites and pay homage at the Chapel of the Apparitions or see the basilica.
  • Salamanca: See the golden stone buildings and handsome arcades of Plaza Mayor for which this city is famous for.
  • Avila: Explore within the ancient walls of this unique town.
  • 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.

Well-being

  • : 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.
  • : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

  • Barceló Emperatriz, Madrid.
  • Vincci Albayzín, Granada.
  • Meliá Sevilla, Seville.
  • Turim Saldanha Hotel, Lisbon.
  • Hotel Alameda Palace, Salamanca.
Day 1 Welcome To Madrid

While in Madrid, explore the elegant boulevards, expansive parks and varied architectural styles. Join your Travel Director for your Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers over a delightful evening of good food and wine.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Barceló Emperatriz, Madrid.

Day 2 The Old Capital Of Toledo And On To Granada

Visit the fascinating city of Toledo, situated high above the River Tagus. This was Spain's capital during the golden era, where Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures flourished side-by-side through the Middle Ages. From here you will venture south to meet a local artisan in a Damascene workshop for a personal insight into this ancient craft, handed down by the Moors centuries ago. Then enjoy a walk within the city walls of Toledo, through the narrow cobbled streets, led by your Local Expert. Visit the Church of Santo Tomé, housing El Greco's famous painting, ‘The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.' Your journey continues to Granada.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Vincci Albayzín, Granada.

Day 3 The Alhambra Palace And Seville, City Of Carmen

'Give him alms, woman, because there is nothing sadder in life than being blind in Granada', proclaims the inscription on the walls of the Alhambra. Bathed in the morning light, the Alhambra Palace awaits—a fantasy of arabesque gardens, fountains and stone cut like lace. Explore with your Local Expert before visiting the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the summer residence of the Spanish royals. Take a moment to relax in the sunshine as you enjoy the fine views over the town and its three verdant hills before continuing on to Seville. Visit the Seville Cathedral, the burial place of Christopher Columbus. Explore the city with Insight Choice. Choose to embark on a walk through the old Jewish quarter. Alternatively, enjoy a drive with panoramic views.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Meliá Sevilla, Seville.

Day 4 Free Time And Flamenco In Seville Relaxed Start

This day is yours to completely relax or continue exploring this fascinating city. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to Córdoba and visit the magnificent Mezquita, an 8th century mosque with a Christian cathedral built inside it? Visit the Cristina Heeren Foundation, a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant, for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This private dance school is dedicated to promoting the conservation of flamenco and supports young enthusiasts from all over the world with a special focus on new talent from the Andalusian region. Feel the passion behind the choreography as you put your rhythm to the test during a dance lesson before witnessing emotions come to life in a flamenco performance.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Meliá Sevilla, Seville.

Day 5 Évora And Onto Lisbon Relaxed Start

Continue to the lively university town of Évora, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Portugal, with architectural styles dating back to Roman Times. Visit the fascinating Capela dos Ossos, a chapel decorated with 5000 bones, before making your way to Lisbon.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Turim Saldanha Hotel, Lisbon.

Day 6 Lisbon And The Age Of The Discoveries Relaxed Start

During your stay, a guided orientation of the city with your Local Expert takes you along the 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 and enjoy a taste of Pastéis de Belém from the patisserie that has been using the same, secret recipe for almost 200 years. View the 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. With the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps join an Optional Experience to the beautiful Portuguese Riviera?

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Turim Saldanha Hotel, Lisbon.

Day 7 Holy Fátima And Salamanca Relaxed Start

Travel into the green hills north of Lisbon to visit Fátima, the most celebrated place of pilgrimage in Portugal. Visit the chapel commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in 1917. Cross the border, returning to Spain and continue to Salamanca, famous for its golden stone buildings and the handsome arcades of the Plaza Mayor. Across the River Tormes, see the Puente Romano with 15 of its 26 arches dating from the time of the ancient Romans.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Hotel Alameda Palace, Salamanca.

Day 8 Ávila And Madrid

Cross the rock-strewn hills of the Castile, to arrive at Ávila. Admire the impressive city still entirely enclosed within its 11th-century walls, a unique occurrence in Europe. Return to Madrid to explore more of the capital with your Local Expert. At a local restaurant, join your Travel Director and newfound friends for a lively Celebration Dinner.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Barceló Emperatriz, Madrid.

Day 9 Depart Madrid

Today bid farewell to your journey along Spain and Morocco as you transfer to the airport.

Duration: 1 Day

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