Spain and Portugal Iberian Wonders Explored - 16 Days

Welcome to Madrid. On arrival at the airport, we’ll transfer you to your hotel – the rest of the day is free until the tour begins. Please check the information signs in the hotel reception for details of the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers.

In the evening, we provide a transfer to Plaza Mayor and the La Latina neighbourhood – one of Madrid’s most famous areas for nightlife and tapas. You can choose where to dine, with plenty of options including Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern cuisines. 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 the day with a comprehensive tour of central Madrid, taking in Paseo del Prado, the fountains of Cibeles and Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then head into Retiro Park to see the lake and the Palacio de Cristal, before visiting the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with admission included – home of Real Madrid. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish. In the evening, we provide a return transfer to the hotel.

We’ll depart Madrid early, travelling south across La Mancha with a stop in Puerto Lápice – a classic Manchego village linked to Don Quixote. Continuing through Despeñaperros into Andalusia, we arrive in Granada, where lunch is included. The afternoon is free – you can visit the Cathedral, which houses the tombs of the Catholic Monarchs, or wander the Albaicín neighbourhood and take in views of the Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolás. Note: Admission to the Alhambra is not included – if you wish to purchase a ticket, please use the official website https://tickets.alhambra-patronato.es or companies that organise city visits.

We leave Granada behind and travel through the Sierra Nevada, then follow the Mediterranean along the Tropical Coast – a region with a mild microclimate that supports guavas, mangoes and avocados, and once sugar cane. We stop in Nerja, a seaside town backed by striking cliffs, before continuing to Málaga, capital of the Costa del Sol, known for its lively historic centre. You have time for lunch and a stroll. In the afternoon we head into the Andalusian sierras to reach Ronda, a classic white town famed for the dramatic gorge that divides it. We continue to Seville, arriving in the late afternoon, with dinner included at the hotel.

This morning we set out on a guided tour of Seville, taking in the cathedral with its famous Giralda, the banks of the Guadalquivir, and the characterful neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz – the historic Jewish quarter – and Triana, the traditional riverside district. After the tour, we include a relaxing boat ride on the Guadalquivir, offering panoramic views of the city from the water. In the evening, you can choose to experience a flamenco tablao.

Leaving Seville, we journey through rolling hills and open pasturelands towards Extremadura. In Mérida, we include admission to the Archaeological Ensemble – home to the Roman theatre and amphitheatre – renowned for its excellent preservation and UNESCO World Heritage status. You’ll have free time for lunch and a stroll through the pedestrian historic centre. We then continue into Portugal, stopping in Évora – also a World Heritage city – known for its whitewashed streets, Renaissance palaces and cathedral. We arrive in Lisbon in the evening.

This morning we take a guided sightseeing tour of Lisbon – the city of seven hills – exploring its characterful lanes, traditional tiles and clear Atlantic light. We continue to Belém, the district from which Portugal’s great navigators set out across the oceans in the 15th century.

Your afternoon is free – you can wander through Bairro Alto and up to its viewpoint, or join an optional excursion to Sintra, Cascais and Estoril.

In the evening, we provide a return transfer to the hotel from lively Restauradores Square, known for its bars and cafés.

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

Leaving Porto, we travel to Braga and ride the world’s oldest water–operated funicular up to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus for panoramic views. After time to explore, you can descend its staircase if you prefer. We then continue into Galicia to Cambados or O Grove in the Rías Baixas for a glass–bottom boat trip on the Ría de Arousa, learning about mussel and oyster production as we sample wine and mussels on board. Around lunchtime, we arrive in Santiago de Compostela for a guided city tour with a local expert, exploring its medieval streets and renowned pilgrimage sites dating back to the Middle Ages.

We travel along the Way of St James to Lugo, where we allow time to explore the historic centre and its UNESCO-listed Roman walls. We then continue to O Cebreiro, a traditional Galician stone village, before reaching León around lunchtime. Here we visit the magnificent Gothic cathedral – renowned for its stained-glass windows – and take a stroll through the historic quarter.

Crossing the Cantabrian Range into Asturias, we arrive in Oviedo by evening. We include a guided city tour with a local expert – scheduled either on arrival or tomorrow morning – lasting around one and a half hours and covering the 9th century cathedral, the Calatrava Congressional Palace, the Campoamor Theatre and Calle de la Rua. Dinner is included in a traditional Asturian cider house.

We depart Oviedo for the Picos de Europa, beginning with a visit to the Basilica of Covadonga – an important Asturian pilgrimage site. From here we follow the coast to Santillana, regarded as one of Spain’s most beautiful towns for its intact medieval quarter. Tickets are included for the nearby Altamira Cave Museum. Later we continue to Santander, the regional capital, where an included panoramic tour with a local guide introduces this elegant coastal city – framed by mountains and beaches – and its beautiful bay.

After breakfast we travel to Bilbao for a guided tour of the Basque Country’s largest city – the region’s main economic and cultural hub. A highlight is the Guggenheim Museum, celebrated for its striking architecture. You’ll have free time to explore the area around the museum or go inside if you wish.

Later we continue to La Rioja – renowned for its wines – to visit the Wine Culture Museum in Briones. We arrive in Zaragoza in the evening.

This morning we take a panoramic tour of Zaragoza with a local guide, visiting the Cathedral–Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, exploring works by Francisco de Goya, and seeing the Roman theatre and a Renaissance palace before a stroll by the Aljafería Palace. After lunch, we travel into Catalonia to visit Poblet Abbey – a walled monastery and one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world (tickets included). We then continue to Barcelona, arriving in the evening.

In the morning, we take a panoramic tour of Barcelona, open to the Mediterranean and renowned for Gaudí’s modernist architecture, the lively Ramblas and the legacies of its World Expositions and Olympic Games. The tour finishes at Maremagnum – a waterfront dining and leisure complex beside Columbus Square – where you can stroll the area at your own pace. The afternoon is free for you to continue exploring. We return to the hotel at the end of the day.

We travel south along the Mediterranean coast, pausing in Peniscola – a walled seaside town in a scenic setting – for a relaxed stroll. We then continue to Valencia, a vibrant port city on the Levantine coast, arriving around lunchtime; you could try the city’s famous paella. At around 16:30 we set off for Madrid, with a brief stop at Valencia’s striking City of Arts and Sciences. We expect to arrive in Madrid between 20:30 and 21:00. Depending on passenger numbers, the Valencia–Madrid sector may be by high speed train.

After breakfast, our journey comes to an end — we bid you farewell and hope you leave with lasting memories.