Spain & Portugal Grand Explorer - 22 Days

Once you land, a transfer takes you straight to your accommodation in Barcelona. You might have some time to start exploring, grab a meal or relax.

Later, our Tour Leader hosts a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant, giving everyone their first proper chance to swap stories and get acquainted over good food and wine before the tour gets underway.

This morning, we spend the morning among Barcelona's architectural icons with our local guide - driving past Gaudi's Modernist creations, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo among them, before climbing Montjuic Hill, where the Olympic Ring, the Columbus Monument and the lively waterfront unfold below, with sweeping views over the city and harbour. The tour builds toward the Sagrada Familia itself, Gaudi's still-unfinished masterpiece and the symbol most associated with the city. Once free for the afternoon, you might wander the Gothic Quarter, browse along Passeig de Gracia, or simply find a spot by the sea.

Barcelona - Zaragoza - Pamplona - Bilbao Today, we start our day by heading southwest, the road cuts through some of Spain's most productive farming and industrial land on the way to Zaragoza, capital of Aragon, on the banks of the Ebro. A pause here lets you take in the grand Baroque Basilica of Nuestra Senora del Pilar, one of the country's most significant pilgrimage churches, in your own time.

Pamplona follows, best known internationally for the San Fermin bull-running festival, and its Roman-era old town rewards a wander past the Gothic Cathedral before the final stretch to Bilbao.

Bilbao - San Sebastian - Bilbao. This morning, we discover Bilbao's transformation into a hub of contemporary architecture and culture on a panoramic tour, with time afterwards for you around the titanium curves of the Guggenheim Museum. In the afternoon, we continue to San Sebastian, one of Spain's grandest seaside resorts and home to a celebrated film festival, taking in La Concha Bay's curve of golden sand and Belle Epoque facades.

From Mount Igueldo, the views over the bay are hard to beat, and you have free time to explore further before heading back. Once returned to Bilbao, we sit down together for pintxos, the Basque region's answer to tapas.

Bilbao - Castro Urdiales - Santander. After breakfast, we travel west along the scenic coastline of Green Spain, stopping in Castro Urdiales, a fishing town whose medieval harbour sits beneath the Gothic silhouette of the Church of Santa Maria overlooking the Bay of Biscay.

We continue to Santander, Cantabria's capital, wrapped around one of the finest natural bays anywhere and once the summer retreat of choice for Spanish royalty. Between its grand architecture, waterfront promenades and the well-known El Sardinero Beach, you have plenty to fill your free time in this relaxed coastal city.

Santander - Covadonga - Oviedo. We begin the day with a visit to Santillana del Mar, considered one of Spain's finest medieval villages, where cobbled lanes and centuries of history surround the Romanesque Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana.

From here we continue to Covadonga, the spiritual home of Asturias, where you have time to visit the Sanctuary and the Holy Cave that shelters the revered image of Our Lady of Covadonga. In the afternoon we travel to Oviedo, passing the pre-Romanesque Church of Santa Maria del Naranco on the way in, with free time afterwards for you to wander the pedestrian old town and its UNESCO-listed Gothic Cathedral.

Oviedo - Lugo - Santiago de Compostela. Today we journey deeper into Galicia's green hills, stopping in Mondonedo, one of the region's oldest towns, where you have free time for a 13th-century Cathedral, quiet squares and a famous local almond cake.

From here we explore Lugo together, the only city on earth still fully encircled by intact Roman walls and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, where Roman remains sit easily alongside medieval streets and the grand Cathedral of Saint Mary. The day's final stretch reaches Santiago de Compostela, spiritual heart of Galicia and the storied endpoint of the Camino de Santiago.

This morning, our local guide leads us through Santiago de Compostela, taking in one of Christianity's most significant pilgrimage sites and the final stop of the Camino de Santiago. At its heart stands the Cathedral (entrance included), a sweeping mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles traditionally said to hold the remains of Saint James the Apostle.

You will have the remainder of the day to explore the old quarter's granite streets and arcaded squares, which eventually open onto the impressive Obradoiro Square at your own pace.

Santiago de Compostela - Rias Bajas (Spain) - Porto (Portugal). We depart for the Rias Bajas this morning, Galicia's dramatic estuary coastline, famous for seafood, vineyards and scenery that rarely disappoints, enjoying a relaxed cruise together along the Ria de Arousa with a tasting of the region's Albarino wine and fresh mussels.

From here, the border crossing into Portugal leads to Porto, its riverside setting on the Douro giving the city its character, its wine trade its fame, and its historic centre its UNESCO status.

We spend the morning with our local guide, taking in Porto's landmark sights - its imposing Cathedral, the ornate Stock Exchange Palace and the elegant Church of Santa Clara among them. From there, we enjoy a scenic cruise along the Douro, taking in a different perspective on Porto and neighbouring Vila Nova de Gaia, before a visit to one of the storied Port Wine Cellars for a tasting of the wine that made the city famous.

The remainder of the day is yours to soak up Porto's atmosphere at whatever pace suits.

You can start the day with a wander through Porto's historic centre, taking in the cafes and shops along Santa Catarina Street and the riverside Ribeira district below. Depending on your interests, you might visit another Port wine cellar, admire the tiled halls of Sao Bento Railway Station, or step into the celebrated Lello Bookstore, often ranked among the world's most beautiful. Or simply take the day slowly and soak up the atmosphere of one of Portugal's most captivating cities.

Porto - Aveiro - Coimbra. After breakfast, we set off for Aveiro, a coastal town nicknamed the "Venice of Portugal" for its network of canals, enjoying a relaxing ride together aboard a traditional, brightly painted moliceiro boat.

From here, we continue to Coimbra, where our local guide leads a tour of this historic university city, home to one of Europe's oldest seats of learning. Its medieval streets and long academic heritage give Coimbra a character all its own, and we take it in together on foot.

Coimbra - Batalha - Nazare - Lisbon. We visit Batalha's Monastery this morning, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country's finest Gothic and Manueline buildings. From there, the coast road leads to Nazare, a fishing town famous for its golden sands and dramatic Atlantic views, with free time for you to wander before we continue on to Lisbon.

In the morning, our local guide leads us through Lisbon, taking in its defining sights across the city's seven hills above the Tagus River - Belem Tower, the Jeronimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries, Marques de Pombal Square and Liberty Avenue.

Afternoon is yours to explore further; the Alfama district, with its steep cobbled lanes, colourful facades and traditional taverns, captures the city's character particularly well.

Lisbon (Portugal) - Merida (Spain) - Cordoba. The day starts with the drive back into Spain and onward to Merida, founded by the Romans in 25 BC and among the country's best-preserved archaeological sites. Its Theatre and Amphitheatre, along with surviving bridges, temples and ancient streets, hint at its past as capital of Roman Lusitania, and you have free time to explore this UNESCO World Heritage city before we continue.

Cordoba awaits next, once the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate and among medieval Europe's great centres of learning and culture.

Cordoba - Seville. We begin today with Cordoba's Mosque (entrance included), its forest of arches and richly worked interior standing as one of Islamic architecture's true masterpieces, before strolling together through the winding lanes of the Jewish Quarter.

In the afternoon, we continue on to Seville.

Today, our local guide leads us through Seville, the Andalusian capital that stretches along the Guadalquivir River beneath a skyline of medieval towers and elegant domes, crowned by the Giralda and Cathedral. We take in Maria Luisa Park's gardens and Plaza de Espana, arguably the city's most photographed spot, before finishing among the narrow lanes and quiet corners of the Santa Cruz Quarter. The afternoon is yours to enjoy the city of light at your own pace.

Seville - Jerez - Ronda. After breakfast, we travel south through Andalusian countryside to Jerez de la Frontera, famous the world over for sherry, horsemanship and flamenco, its elegant squares and centuries-old churches speaking to a proud cultural heritage. Its historic centre also invites a wander through streets full of authentic local character.

From here, Ronda awaits - perched dramatically above the El Tajo gorge and connected by the landmark Puente Nuevo bridge, its whitewashed streets carrying traces of Roman, Moorish and Christian rule alike. The rest of the day is yours to uncover more of this striking hilltop town.

Ronda - Malaga - Granada. Today, we visit Malaga, uncovering its layered history from Roman theatre to Moorish Alcazaba and Castle of Gibralfaro, each marking a different era of the city's past . From there, we continue to Granada, which sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada between the Darro and Genil rivers - one of Andalusia's true jewels, where the Alhambra's Moorish legacy meets later Renaissance additions.

Granada - Madrid. This morning, our local guide brings the Alhambra complex to life (entrance included), together with the neighbouring Generalife Gardens. As Granada's greatest treasure and one of Spain's most recognisable monuments, this Moorish palace and fortress complex draws you in with its intricate courtyards, ornate detailing, lush gardens and views stretching across the city to the Sierra Nevada.

Once the visit wraps up, we depart for Madrid, where we gather together for a Farewell Dinner this evening.

In the morning, our local guide leads us through Madrid's historic core, moving from the medieval Barrio de la Moreria and stately Habsburg Quarter through to the grand Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa, where the city's earliest roots still show. From there, we continue through Bourbon Madrid together - the Royal Palace, the Cibeles and Neptune Fountains and the landmark Puerta de Alcala giving way to the more modern face of the city along Gran Via, the upscale Salamanca district, Paseo de la Castellana and the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The afternoon is yours to make of Madrid what you will, whether that means a museum, some shopping, or simply the city's famously lively cafe culture.

Please note: if the panoramic tour of Madrid cannot be operated due to technical reasons, it will be replaced, at the Tour Operator's discretion, by a one-day Madrid hop-on hop-off bus ticket or a walking tour.

After your final breakfast, you may have time to further explore the city, grab a meal or find some last-minute souvenirs before a transfer takes you to Madrid Airport in time for your departure flight.