Iberian Heritage Madrid to Lisbon Odyssey - 8 Days

Welcome to Madrid. On arrival, we’ll transfer you to your hotel – the rest of the day is free. In the afternoon, please check the information boards at hotel reception for details about the start of your tour. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

We begin with a morning panoramic tour of central Madrid, taking in Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then head to El Retiro Park to see the lake and the Palacio de Cristal. Admission is included to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – home of Real Madrid – for a visit. You have the afternoon free to explore at your own pace. In the evening, we provide a return transfer to the hotel.

We leave Madrid for Mérida, capital of Extremadura, where we visit the Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre archaeological complex – tickets included – a World Heritage Site renowned for its excellent state of preservation. You’ll have time for lunch in the pedestrianised historic centre, full of places to eat. We then continue into Portugal and stop in Évora, another World Heritage city with white streets, Renaissance palaces and a cathedral. We arrive in Lisbon in the evening.

This morning, we take a guided tour of Lisbon – the Portuguese capital of seven hills, known for its narrow lanes, traditional tiles and Atlantic light. We also visit the Belém neighbourhood, the historic departure point from which Portuguese navigators set sail across the oceans in the 15th century. The afternoon is yours – you can explore at your own pace, perhaps heading to Bairro Alto for its viewpoint, or join an optional excursion to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril. In the evening, we provide a return transfer from Restauradores Square – a lively area of bars and cafés – back to the hotel.

Heading north from Lisbon, we visit Fátima – an important pilgrimage site – then continue to Porto, Portugal’s second largest city. After lunch, we enjoy a 50–minute Douro River cruise aboard a traditional Portuguese rabelo boat, offering a fresh perspective on the city’s riverside. Afterwards, you have free time to explore the medieval Ribeira district, known for its narrow streets, historic merchant houses and cafés, before we head to the hotel.

We travel through scenic landscapes to Braga, where we ride the world’s oldest water operated cable car up to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus for panoramic views. After time to explore, you can descend via the sanctuary’s picturesque staircase if you wish. We continue into Galicia to visit Cambados or O Grove in the Rías Baixas, then board a glass bottom boat on the Ría de Arousa to learn about mussel and oyster production, with wine and mussel tasting on board. Around lunchtime we arrive in Santiago de Compostela for a guided city tour with a local guide, taking in its medieval streets and renowned pilgrimage sites dating back to the Middle Ages.

We travel along the Way of St James, stopping in Lugo to explore the historic centre and its Roman walls – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then pause in O Cebreiro, a charming Galician stone village. By lunchtime we reach León, where we visit the Gothic cathedral – renowned for its stained–glass windows – and take a leisurely walk through the historic centre. We depart around 17:00 – arriving in Madrid at approximately 21:00. Note: depending on the group size, the journey from León to Madrid may be by train or regular transport.

After breakfast, we conclude the tour in Madrid – our services end here. Wishing you a smooth onward journey and lasting memories of your trip.