group tours to spain and portugal

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Spain and Portugal

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• Small Group

Year, Departure Type

Select small group departures (averaging 24 Tauck guests), or classic departures, and the year you would like to travel.

• 2024 Classic
• 2024 Small Group
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• 2025 Small Group

Accommodations

• Pricing & Availability
• Important Info

Uniquely Tauck

EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK

Enjoy breathtaking vistas as you climb from seaside Marbella to cliff-top Ronda, and into the Sierra Nevada mountains to Moorish Granada for a visit to the Alhambra – one of the world's finest examples of Moorish architecture – accompanied by a local guide

Visit one of the world's most beautiful art museums on a guided tour of Museo Nacional del Prado, steps from your hotel in the Art Triangle of Madrid

TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES

A horse-and-carriage ride presents a different view of romantic Seville, and a walking tour with a local guide shares insights about daily life

Feel the passion of flamenco when dancers perform their version of Andalucían folkloric traditions during a private performance in Granada

Experience a taste of royal life in Sintra when you visit the former hilltop summer palace of Portugal's monarchs

SEE WHAT YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

Active components such as hiking, bicycling and walking longer distances may be included, and hills and/or uneven terrain may be encountered on several days. Guests should be able to walk two to three miles and stand for long periods of time with no difficulty.

Often robust – may include long days, active sightseeing, early starts, evening activities, significant travel times.

Along Europe's Scenic "Yellow Roads"

Iberia... rediscovered, on a journey unlike any other that explores scenic and cultural contrasts of Spain and Portugal, sharing the Iberian Peninsula for centuries.

Seville by horse-drawn carriage, explore seville by horse-drawn carriage....

Experience a panorama of sights in Seville in a manner befitting the city's historic ambiance – via horse-drawn carriage – as you ride through Maria Luisa Park, the city's largest, which was created for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Converted from what were once the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo, the park is essentially a botanical garden crisscrossed by grand boulevards and accented with Moorish-styled pavilions, tiled fountains, ponds, several museums and many monuments and sculptures. You're in for a delightful carriage ride through a truly beautiful place.

Portugal's Capital City - Lisbon

Three days of cultural discoveries in portugal's capital city.

Spread out over seven hills crowned with picture-book sights and buildings dressed in storytelling tiles, Lisbon is one of Europe's oldest capital cities. A three-night stay at its luxury Four Seasons Hotel Ritz offers you the opportunity to explore the city on a guided tour, dine on Portuguese specialties, and immerse in its rich multicultural legacies at your leisure.

Gran Melía Don Pepe

Five-star luxury on the marbella beachfront.

Located in the heart of the Costa del Sol, at the foot of the privileged natural enclave of Sierra Blanca, the Gran Meliá Don Pepe combines timeless luxury with an avant-garde flair. With its excellent access to the city center, its fabulous views on the Paseo Marítimo seafront promenade, its luxurious and comfortable facilities and the quality of its service, it's the very best option for discovering all that Marbella has to offer.

Foods of the Iberian Peninsula

Every city was a little jewel on our itinerary of culture, history, food, music, geography and inspiration..

Randy Morin

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All the information you need for this journey at your fingertips – day-by-day details, map, hotel descriptions, key highlights and more.

Where you stay is an important part of your journey – with Tauck, accommodations have been handpicked and carefully selected for their location and ambiance, enhancing the destinations you explore. Download accommodation details and your travel plans begin!

Tour Planner

Download the details to make planning your trip easier - including an itinerary overview, pricing based on your selected departure date and accommodations, plus protection plan costs.

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Overnight Accommodations

Extend your stay

Arrive Early

Four seasons hotel ritz lisbon.

Lisbon, Portugal

Convento do Espinheiro

Évora, Portugal

Hotel Alfonso XIII

Seville, Spain

Gran Meliá Don Pepe

Marbella, Spain

Nights 9-10

Hotel Alhambra Palace

Granada, Spain

Nights 11-13

The Palace, Madrid

Madrid, Spain

Your Journey

Pricing & Availability

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About Booking This Tour

Travel Documents

If you are a U.S. citizen traveling internationally, you will need a passport valid for six months beyond the completion of your Tauck journey to enter Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar (a territory of the United Kingdom). You are not required to obtain a visa to enter either country for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.

If you are a citizen of another country traveling internationally, you should contact an embassy or consulate of Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom (for Gibraltar) to determine what travel documentation is required.

We recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

To facilitate Travel Requirements, destinations are increasingly utilizing online forms that require digital proof that you've successfully completed your submission (via an email, QR code, etc.) To ensure smooth travels and peace of mind, we strongly recommend all guests carry a personal smart phone and sign up for international data plans before traveling overseas.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AS A GUARDIAN: If you are traveling as the guardian of a child/children, we strongly suggest that you carry a letter from both parents of the child authorizing emergency treatment in the event of illness or accident. For travel abroad, many foreign countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling internationally without BOTH parents. (These requirements are in response to the increased incidence of children being abducted and taken abroad.) PLEASE NOTE THAT TAUCK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for children traveling without both parents.

How to Book a Tour

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number  of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits & Final Payment

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck  90  days before departure for lands trips, and  120  days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Travel Protection Plan

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances:  In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation –  If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
• Trip Interruption –  If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
• Travel Delay –  Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
• Medical Expense –  Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection –  Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.
• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services –  Provided by Carefree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $559  per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 1, 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL .

If You Have To Cancel

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees. If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Cancellation Fees with Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan :

90 days or more before departure = $600 per person

89-8 days before departure = $900 per person

7-1 days before departure = $1500 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note:  All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Travel Terms and Conditions

Click here  to find Tauck's Travel Terms & Conditions.

Travel Requirements For This Tour

Air Information and Luggage Restrictions

AIRFARE: Airfare to and from this destination is not included in the journey cost. If purchasing your air elsewhere, it is very important to provide us with your confirmed arriving and departing flight information no later than 3 weeks before your arrival date. Flight information can be submitted to Tauck (or verified, if you've already provided it) in the My Account section of Tauck.com.

TAUCK AIRPORT TRANSFERS are included at the start and end of the journey between the airport and the Tauck hotel. Airport transfers are available for any pre tour or post tour hotel stays immediately consecutive to the tour, providing flight information is received in the Tauck office no later than three weeks in advance. Details on locating your transfer upon arrival to the tour start city will be included in your final documents.

AIRLINES and CHECKED LUGGAGE: Due to space limitations during your Tauck journey, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one average-size suitcase per person. Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and are free to revise luggage policies without notice. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies. PLEASE NOTE that if you are booked on a tour that includes on-tour flights, the checked luggage weight restrictions for these flights may be lower than the weight restrictions for your international flights.

Checked Luggage – General

Due to space restrictions, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one suitcase per person weighing no more than 50 pounds (23 kg) and with overall dimensions (length + width + height) not exceeding 62 inches (158 cm).

Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.

Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.

Tauck luggage tags will be provided by your Tauck Director on Day 1 of your itinerary. Please do not attach a Tauck luggage tag to any carry-on items, as the Tauck tags designate luggage that is to be handled and transferred by ground operators and hotel staff during your journey.

Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or on the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may be inaccessible during daytime travel.

Health, Safety and Mobility

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

While drinking water is generally safe at all our hotels, bottled water will be available wherever the local water is not fit to drink. We also provide bottled water on the motor coaches.

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

If you have a medical condition which might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

VACCINATIONS  

If you are a resident of the U.S. , no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Spain, Portugal or Gibraltar (a territory of the United Kingdom). For complete vaccination and inoculation information, please contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to obtain information regarding vaccinations that may be required for your journey. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 800-232-4636 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC website by clicking here .

If you are a resident of another country, please contact an embassy or consulate of each of the countries visited on this tour to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

The tour is fast paced. To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces. Some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. The amount of walking you do, however, is at your discretion. Spain and Portugal are home to innumerable historic buildings and sites, many dating from ancient or medieval times. Therefore, roads, walkways and architecture may present difficulties for some guests with physical disabilities. We conduct walking tours in most of the cities visited.

Many of the hotels do not provide for disabled access. Although all the hotels on this itinerary have elevators, many of the sites visited do not. Airports and train stations provide limited access to elevators. Many of the museums will have elevators; however, they are not always conveniently located for your use. Further, ramps are not commonly found in public venues.

PLEASE NOTE: We regret that this Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate wheelchairs or motorized scooters. Likewise, we regret that we're unable to provide individual assistance to guests with walking difficulties or other personal needs. The responsibility of the Tauck Director who accompanies your trip is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it.

Reading List

We have compiled a reading list of recommended books to give you more information about the destinations you will be traveling to on your upcoming journey!

You can view the reading list  here.

The climate of Portugal is among the warmest of any country in Europe. In spring and summer temperatures are extremely high, often reaching 85ºF (30ºC) and above, and most days are sunny. Evenings and nights cool down considerably. Throughout this region rainfall is minimal or non-existent during the summer months and light in late spring and early fall.

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website by clicking here .

What To Pack

Bringing the right clothing for your trip is important – we've partnered with Necessary Gear who provide an "easy-to-use, one-stop shop" for your Tauck travel needs, specifically selected for this trip. Click here to visit their site .

Spain and Portugal are generally warm and dry from April through September. From late March into November, the weather cools considerably and there is a higher chance of rain. Your journey is designed with leisure in mind. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Generally, during the day, casual, comfortable, cotton clothing is recommended. Cool weather at higher elevations or at night will require warmer, layered clothing.

In Europe, especially in finer restaurants, it is generally customary to dress somewhat formally. Slacks or a dress for women and a jacket for men are acceptable dining attire. It is advisable to avoid wearing jeans, sneakers or shorts for dinner. You may also wish to dress up a bit for the welcome reception and the farewell dinner, but by all means be comfortable.

You will find a hair dryer located in your hotel guest room. Irons and ironing boards are not usually available, so guests may have to give their garment to the hotel to be ironed for a fee. Valet laundry and dry cleaning services are also available for a fee.

We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor's prescription or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for your trip to Spain and Portugal:

• Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
• An optional jacket and tie for men
• Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
• A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
• Binoculars (7x50 preferably)
• Insect repellent
• Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and chargers
• Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
• Travel alarm clock/cell phone with alarm function (many hotels do not have clocks in the rooms)
• Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
• Reusable zipper-lock bags or other waterproof bags
• Daypack for camera equipment
• Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling

The Tauck Experience

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*Prices below are per person based on double occupancy and include airline taxes, surcharges and fees of $0, which are subject to change until final payment is made. All tour prices (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

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Across Spain and Portugal

With paradores & pousadas.

Fortified cities and tiny fishing villages, rugged Atlantic coastline and commanding Pyrenees peaks, iconic shrines to both religion and fine art, and intimate lodgings in historic paradores  and  pousadas  – it all awaits on this singular small group journey from Lisbon across the north of Spain, ending in vibrant Barcelona.

Tour Details

From $5,374

Small Group Highlights

• Lisbon touring
• Douro River cruise and port wine tasting
• Pilgrimage site of Santiago de Compostela
• Stops along religious route of Way of St. James
• Bilbao’s Guggenheim and Fine Arts museums
• Full-day excursion along beautiful, rugged Basque coastline
• Two nights in Pyrenees Mountains region
• Three-night stay in vibrant Barcelona
• Barcelona touring
• Unique itinerary through Northern Spain
• Stays in distinguished historic lodgings

Day-by-Day Itinerary

The Corinthia Hotel Lisbon offers a sophisticated retreat in Portugal’s capital of Lisbon.  The hotel houses a 33,000-square-foot spa space offering massage therapies, beauty treatments, a heated indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, solarium, and fitness center.  Other amenities include three restaurants, lobby bar, terrace, chocolate boutique, laundry and dry-cleaning services (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, minibar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, in-room safe, TV, and phone.  Please note that a bath cap is required for use of the swimming pool.  Guests may bring their own, or the hotel will provide them at a cost of €5.00 per cap.

The public areas of the Pousada Pestana Palácio do Freixo were converted from a former palace built in 1742 on the banks of the Douro River, which exemplifies Portuguese Baroque architecture and has been classified as a National Monument.  The pousada features pieces from various Porto museums along with contemporary furnishings, and its amenities include a restaurant, two bars, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, spa with massage services (for a fee), fitness center, sauna, laundry service (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms include private bath with hair dryer, minibar, tea- and coffee-making facilities, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Considered one of Spain’s oldest hotels, the Parador de Santiago de Compostela (also known as the Hostal dos Reis Catolicós) was built by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1486 as a hospital for pilgrims.  The parador is situated in the historic Plaza do Obradoiro, adjacent to the famed cathedral, and includes architectural flourishes such as a carved entrance façade, vaulted ceilings, stone archways, a Renaissance chapel, and four courtyards.  The hotel features two restaurants, a bar, coffee shop, library, gift shop, laundry and dry-cleaning service (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Once the convent of San Marcos, the majestic Parador de León stands as an architectural gem in the town of León.  Gardens and terraces surround the Plateresque-style building, and the parador ’s Rey Don Sancho Restaurant provides a traditional menu made with local products.  Other amenities include a bar, garden, laundry services (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Each of the air-conditioned guest rooms has a private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

The contemporary Meliá Bilbao is located in the city center close to the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and other cultural attractions, shops, and restaurants.  The hotel has two restaurants serving Basque specialties, a bar/lounge, covered heated outdoor swimming pool with mountain views, fitness center, sauna, laundry service (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.  Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Perched on the mountain slopes of the Pyrenees in Monte Perdido National Park, the Parador de Bielsa features traditional regional stone architecture.  The parador is surrounded by beech forests, jagged hills, and waterfalls, with a creek just a short walk from the property.  Amenities include a restaurant and bar, terrace, garden, gift shop, bicycle rental (for a fee), game room, laundry service (for a fee), and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access (please note that due to this parador ’s remote location, the Wi-Fi signal may vary in strength).  Air-conditioned guest rooms have private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

El Avenida Palace stands in the heart of Barcelona and offers an excellent location from which to explore this world-class city.  The hotel, built in 1952, is just minutes from La Ramblas, the Picasso Museum, and the museum housing the works of modern architect Antoni Gaudí.  This elegant hotel features a restaurant and bar, rooftop pool area with views of the city (including the famed Sagrada Familia), complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, and laundry and dry-cleaning services (for a fee).  Air-conditioned guest rooms offer private bath with hair dryer, minibar, in-room safe, TV, and phone.

Tour Price Includes

• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities
• 15 nights’ accommodations: 8 nights in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels; 7 nights in First Class  paradores  and  pousadas
• 28 meals: 15 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 10 dinners
• Extensive sightseeing as described, including all ­entrance fees
• Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip
• Luggage handling for one bag per person
• Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
• $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)

Average Daily High by Month (°F )

Average temperature (°f ), dates & prices.

Airline upgrades (subject to availability; pricing subject to change) on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,795 per person; Premium Economy – $1,795 per person

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Post-Tour Extension

Barcelona – On Your Own

Discover more of this lively, spirited city.

Post-Tour Extension Price Includes

• 2 nights’ accommodations at El Avenida Palace Hotel (Superior First Class)
• 2 meals: 2 breakfasts
• Transfer to airport

Pricing: $345 in 2024; $395 in 2025. Single Supplement: $245 in 2024; $295 in 2025

Accommodations

Tour Directors

Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director

“Albert was a pleasure to be with, always giving individual attention and helping with details while being very effective leading the group.”

Betty Wing Missoula, MI

“Marco is beyond extraordinary. His knowledge of everything was beyond compare…We loved him and we all want to do another trip with him.”

Susan Wolff Great Falls, MT

“Elena is terrific! Very cooperative, very knowledgeable, and informative. She is always upbeat and professional.”

Richard & Maureen Wright Fort Myers, FL

“Rikardo stepped in and did an excellent job. He was helpful and went the extra mile when needed. His sense of humor made the time with him so enjoyable.”

Mary MacKenzie Camarillo, CA

“Probably the best guide on our four trips with Odysseys.”

Dr. Jerry Sullivan Atlanta, GA

“Blaz did an excellent job. His talks on the history of the different areas were outstanding…He had a way of making it interesting."

Carol Pudlin Culver City, CA

“Sergio was exceptional in every way. He was attentive, helpful, knowledgeable, ever-so-pleasant, professional, courteous, and did it all with a beautiful smile.”

Felicia Phoenix Newtown Square, PA

“Emma was the best! She was incredibly knowledgeable and resourceful, with warmth and charm to spare. Thanks for finding her.”

Susan Crews Bailey Austin, TX

“Manuel was impressive! His knowledge of the culture and locations provided considerable insight to our traveling.”

Jeffery Beaulieu & Connie Campbell Palatine, IL

“Vanessa Soto was terrific: cheerful, patient, friendly, capable, informative, adaptable, helpful, and always here when needed.”

Adam Lewis Oakland, CA

"Besides his knowledge, he was likeable, calm, and kept everything moving…If I ever take another tour to Spain/Portugal, we would hope we could have him again. A really excellent tour director."

John Elder Washington, D.C.

“Africa is an amazing, funny woman and a great asset to Odysseys.”

Linda LaBella Bohemia, NY

“Delightful personality and smart! A treasure for your company.”

Patti Crowley South Bend, IN

"Juan...won our hearts! Very pleasant."

Lisa Smirz Indianapolis, IN

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Physical Activity Level

• Walk 2-4 miles per day, often uphill, on uneven terrain, or cobblestones
• Occasional long walks from motorcoach drop-off to sights and hotels
• Steep grades while walking in Lisbon and Oporto
• Several long days of travel via motorcoach

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Treasures of Spain and Portugal

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14 Day Spain and Portugal Tour from Madrid to Barcelona

14 days, 2 countries and 14 cities

Accommodation

13 Breakfasts, 6 Dinners

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Don’t miss a thing on this most exhilarating of Spain and Portugal trips, filled with the flavors of sangria and port shared with locals, life-changing pilgrimages and the legacy of the Romans, Moors, Iberian royalty and a ‘Spanish Pope’ who built a ‘City in the Sea’.

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14 days itinerary trip from Madrid to Barcelona visiting 2 countries and 14 cities Choose Your End Location

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This tour ends in Barcelona after breakfast with a transfer to Barcelona Airport El Prat.

This tour variation ends in Madrid and has a maximum of 50 guests.

About this trip

Sightseeing highlights.

Explore Madrid, Toledo, Santiago de Compostela, Porto, Lisbon, Seville and Barcelona

Discover Segovia, Zamora and Valencia

Visit Santo Tomé and the synagogue in Toledo, the cathedral and Praza do Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela, the Stock Exchange Palace and a local port wine cellar in Porto, Seville Cathedral, the Alhambra Palace in Granada

View the Roman Aqueduct and Alcazar in Segovia, the cathedral in Zamora, the Shrine at Fátima, the Belém Tower and Hieronymite Monastery in Lisbon, the Giralda Bell Tower in Seville, the cave homes of Guadix, the Serrano and Quart Towers and the city of Arts and Sciences complex in Valencia and La Sagrada Família in Barcelona 

See the Monument to the Discoveries in Lisbon

Travel highlights

Specific transfer information can be found here:

Airport Transfers

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver

Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted

All porterage and restaurant gratuities

Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals

All hotel tips, charges and local taxes

Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras

Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing

Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)

Optional Experiences and free time

On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences

Every one of our tours includes at least one conscious travel experience that supports one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). Look out for yours within the day-by-day trip itinerary.

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Net-zero by 2050

Travel knowing our 4-point climate action plan will ensure net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Support Local

Your tour directly supports local communities by visiting family-run businesses, UNESCO sites and places of cultural significance.

Sustainable Practices

Every part of our business, from trip design to how we run our offices, aligns to our 5-year sustainability strategy which ensures a positive impact on people, the planet and wildlife.

Philanthropic Efforts

Our not-for-profit, the TreadRight Foundation, invests in nature-based solutions to address climate change.

You’ll make a positive impact to people, planet and wildlife on this tour

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Spain and Portugal tours

Discover the diversity of two neighboring countries on our tours of Spain and Portugal. From colorfully tiled Spanish plazas to picturesque waterfronts, to awe-inspiring palaces and much more.

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We offer 200+ immersive, guided tours around the world. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll enjoy lots of advantages that make traveling with us different.

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What travelers say about their Spain & Portugal trips

Travel tips for spain & portugal tours.

Here are some of the main attractions to see in Spain and Portugal:

• Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.  This UNESCO World Heritage site is full of beautiful architecture and deep history.
• Tower of Belém in Lisbon.  Step into Lisbon’s maritime history at this waterfront landmark. Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan visited in their day, too.
• Old-World Ribeira district in Porto.  These medieval lanes are as picturesque as it gets.
• Évora.  One of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Évora is home to whitewashed homes with intricate tile work, temples, and even a cork factory.
• Alhambra in Granada.  This is the UNESCO-recognized site of the Moorish sultans’ last stronghold in Spain, and home to a promenade, palaces, and panoramic views of the city.
• Córdoba.  This is Europe’s largest medieval city located in the countryside of Madrid.
• Park Güell & La Pedrera.  Here, you’ll discover the magnificent works of Gaudí, the famed Spanish architect known for his bold, distinct designs.
• Puerta del Sol in Madrid.  This bustling public square is the center of activity, with a famous semi-circle shape, grand buildings, and beautiful fountain.

Anytime is a good time! Both countries bask in sunshine all year, with hotter summers and more mild winters (though winters can be a little rainy). Summertime tends to be the most popular time to go on Spain and Portugal tours, but there are  many benefits to travel in the off-season,  too—including fewer crowds.

• Wear sturdy footwear because those beautiful cobblestone streets weren’t built for flimsy flip flops!
• In Portugal, if you order café, you’ll get espresso instead of a cup of coffee. Try ordering a meia de leite (half-coffee and half-milk) instead, if that’s more your speed.
• In Portugal, don’t assume appetizers are free—even if your waiter puts them on your table. Anything you eat will be added to your bill.
• In Spain, people eat much later than they do in the United States. Lunch tends to be around 2pm., and dinner happens closer to 9 or 10pm.

As you’re planning a trip to Spain and Portugal, just remember they’re two different countries with different cultures and languages. And while Spanish is very similar to Portuguese, the most polite thing to do is to try and speak each country’s language—even if it’s just to say “good morning!”

Spain and Portugal trips are full of great food, friendly people, and exciting experiences—and traveling with a group makes all that even better. When you go on a guided tour of Spain and Portugal, we do all of the planning for you, so you can truly focus on relaxing, learning, and having fun. You might even make some new friends along the way.

All of our Spain and Portugal vacation packages also feature local expert guides, so you’ll experience what it’s like to truly live in every city, as well as better understand the culture.

You can’t go on one of our Spain and Portugal tour packages without feasting on fantastic foods.

In Spain, you’ll want to try the paella, a famous dish made in a cast-iron pan with rice and spices. If you’re into seafood, Spain is known for gambas al ajillo, a fresh shrimp dish with garlic and chilli pepper, pulpo a la gallega, a tapa dish made with thin-sliced octopus and potatoes, or boquerones, which are fried anchovies. And lastly, you’ve got to try all the tapas, especially pintxos. They're tiny bites of fish, meats, cheeses, or peppers on little pieces of bread! Check our  ultimate food and wine guide to Spain  to dive even deeper.

In Portugal, you’ll have to try caldo verde, a classic Portuguese soup with potatoes, kale, and sliced chorizo, as well as piri-piri chicken. Portugal is also known for its deliciously fresh seafood. Be sure to finish off with some pastel de nata, a traditional egg custard, for dessert!  The Go Ahead Travel Guide to Lisbon  is full of other foods and drinks to try, too.

See the latest from our travelers @goaheadtours

Small Group Guided Tours of Spain and Portugal

Our program explores the lands of Spain and Portugal , two countries bound by many centuries of history reflected in their modern cultures. Divided by history and language, contiguous neighbours Spain and Portugal were once host to gigantic empires that still bear their languages and lifestyles. A small group tour for couple and solo travellers.

From $10,723 USD

Departing Apr, Oct, Mar

• 1. Experience La Rioja, the mountain kingdom of Navarra, and neighbouring Basque Country with its astounding Guggenheim Museum.
• 2. Explore Toledo and Moorish cities of Cordoba, with its awe-inspiring “Mezquita,” and Granada, with its Alhambra Palace.
• 3. In Portugal, stay in the charming city of Braga, visit Oporto, and explore the historical capital, Lisbon.
• 4. Visit the stunning coastal areas surrounding Lisbon, including Europe's westernmost point.

• Departure Dates

Spain and Portugal | Small Group Tours.

Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Western Europe including Spain and Portugal. We explore Spain and Portugal fairy-tale natural beauty, its ancient Roman heritage, its World Heritage Sites, and world famous cities, all with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Spain and Portugal, designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.

Discover the Iberia n peninsula on these fully escorted small Spain and Portugal tours, perfect for the single traveller or couple.

Although divided by history and language , these close neighbours once possessed mighty empires bringing them great wealth which they then used to create many of the monuments we admire today.

The Iberian Peninsula is renowned for the spectacular views of its scenery, its red wines of rioja , and exotic food. Our Spain and Portugal tour explores the Iberian peninsula 's intricate history and incredible art and architecture as we stroll and wander through its streets. These are small group package tours of Spain and Portugal for mature travellers, either couples or singles.

Itinerary & highlights of the Spain and Portugal tour

Small group tours Spain and Portugal is for senior and mature travellers who seek to learn whilst on a group tour. The itinerary of this small group tour spends 24 days exploring the Iberian peninsula with your tour manager. As expected this trip includes several famous historic destinations rich in Spanish culture on this escorted tour. Your experienced tour director leads the way assisted by local a tour guide for guided sightseeing in key places such as Madrid , Barcelona , Seville, Bilbao, Segovia, Braga and Lisbon ensuring you have a great trip.

This small group tour spends 24 days exploring several famous destinations. The tour commences in Spain in Barcelona , a highlight of which is the colourful Park Guell. As well as Barcelona's Sagrada familia Basilica. From Barcelona , the tour heads to northern Spain into Rioja and Basque country before reaching the northern industrial city and home to Europe's Guggenheim museum, Bilbao in Northern Spain. We leave Bilbao heading south to spend almost 6 days on a city tour in the Spanish capital, visiting the Royal Palace and other highlights. After Madrid the tour heads to Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and northwest into Portugal. We explore the Atlantic coast , and then on to Lisbon , the nation's historic capital . Leaving Portugal, the tour heads into Southern Spain to Seville and finally concludes in Granada .

This tour is fully escorted but also makes great use of a local tour guide and tour operator when appropriate whose knowledge enhances the program's highlights and your travel experiences on this group tour. Highlights include a visit to La Rioja, the mountain kingdom of Navarra, along with neighbouring Basque Country and the astounding Guggenheim Museum. We also take a guided tour of Braga , and wander the cobblestone streets of the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. The magnificent Moorish architecture left behind by the Moors in Seville and Granada will be another highlight of our Spain and Portugal tours.

On this tour of Spain and Portugal, in the evenings you can enjoy wine tasting, food at the tapas bars , and views of the mountains and other wondrous scenery.

Odyssey offers two departures a year, as well as an 11-day short version of the program. You can also combine this tour with our long stay program in Barcelona , an in-depth 22-day program exploring the city.

Odyssey's tours to Spain offered each year are popular package tours with travellers and typically operate every year.

You can learn more about both Spain and Portugal with our country profiles where all other tour departures are listed as well. For more details, click the 'Top 5' or 'Itinerary' buttons above! If you're keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.

Articles about Spain and Portugal tours

The following list of articles are either published by Odyssey Traveller for mature aged and senior travellers or carefully selected articles from external sources to maximise their knowledge and enjoyment of Spain & Portugal when visiting:

• 15 of the best places in Spain to visit
• History of Lisbon
• Ten of the best books published on Spain
• Ten of the Best art galleries in Europe to visit
• Lessons about the Moors in Spain
• Monarchs of Spain.
• A brief History of Spain
• The culture of Portugal
• A brief history of Portugal
• Portugese Colonial War

Day 1: Barcelona

Accommodation: 3 nights at Amister Hotel or similar.

Upon arrival in Barcelona , we will come to the hotel individually. Our Spain tour begins with an orientation and welcome dinner. (D)

Day 2: Barcelona

Accommodation: Amister Hotel or similar.

Today, we enjoy a full day tour around Barcelona , visiting the Miró Foundation, the National Museum of Catalan Art and Park Guell, a World Heritage Site since 1984 and located in the gothic quarter . The evening is free to relax or to discover one of the many local restaurants for dinner. (B).

Once part of the Aragonese Empire, Catalonia is now an autonomous Spanish province, proud of its distinctive language and culture. Stretching from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees, it was here that the Romans first landed on the Iberian peninsula and founded a new “colonnia” on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement, the area now forming Barcelona’s “Barri Gotic.” Catalonian heritage is a mixture of old and new as ancient churches and monuments vie for attention with the Modernist school of Gaudi and Dali. The Catalonian capital reflects this contrast with architecture ranging from its Gothic cathedral to Gaudi’s modernist Sagrada Familia.

Day 3: Barcelona

Today, we continue exploring this wonderful city with our local tour guide. We walk along the Paseo de Gracia and through the Barrio Gothic (gothic quarter) and then visit the Maritim Museum. There will be some free time for lunch at our own arrangements. Later we continue with our tour, with a guided visit of Palau de La Musica Catalana. We then enjoy a guided tour of the magnificent, though still unfinished, Sagrada Familia. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements.

Day 4: Barcelona - Calahorra

Accommodation: 1 night at Parador de Calahorra or similar.

After breakfast, we have a morning visit to the Picasso Museum. Thereafter, we head to the train station to catch the high speed AVE train to Zaragoza. The journey takes around 2 hours, and on arrival we’ll be transferred to our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore the surrounding area. Dinner this evening is at our hotel.

Day 5: Calahorra - Bilbao

Accommodation: 1 night Silken Indautxu or similar.

This morning we will travel to Pamplona, a city made famous by its annual bull runs. We will meet our local guide for a tour of the city, exploring its rise from an army camp for the Roman general Pompey to the capital of the semi-autonomous Navarre region. After lunch at own arrangements, we carry on to Bilbao , (Basque country)where will have dinner at our hotel.

Day 6: Bilbao - Burgos

Accommodation: 1 night at Meson del Cid or similar.

This morning the group starts with a tour of the city of Bilbao , including a visit to the magnificent Guggenheim museum where we spend 2 to 3h viewing the collection of contemporary works of art. We will stop at Mercado de Ribera to get some lunch (own arrangements) before continuing on to Burgos. Most of this section of the tour today runs parallel to the Camino de Santiago , the Catherdral in Burgos is an important stop for those making the pilgrimage. We arrive at our hotel in Burgos in time for dinner.

Day 7: Burgos - Madrid

Accommodation: 4 nights at Quatro Puerta Del Sol or similar

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for the Spanish capital, Madrid . Before leaving Burgos, we meet our local tour guide for a walking tour this morning of the city’s highlights, including entrance to the cathedral. En route to Madrid we pause to stretch our legs and grab some lunch (at own arrangements). In Santo Domingo de la Calzada, we stop to view the spectacular Roman aqueduct. We arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon.

Day 8: Madrid

Accommodation: Quatro Puerta Del Sol or similar

This morning we meet our local tour guide for a full-day viewing and exploring the highlights of the Madrid , including entrance to the Royal Palace and “Museo Reina Sofia”; which is is Spain ’s national museum of 20th-century art. In the evening, we meet up with a local guide who takes on a Tapas tour of the capital, where we will sample local cuisine across a series of bars. After a post-dinner walk to Mercado San Miguel , we return to our hotel.

Day 9: Madrid

Today we join our local guide again in exploring the nearby city of Toledo on a walking tour. We will visit the Synagogue de Santa Maria la Blanca, Sante Tome Church, the cathedral and view the exterior of the Alcazar, before we return to Madrid for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 10: Madrid

This morning, we visit the Prado Museum with our local guide. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy the city at leisure.

Day 11: Salamanca

Accommodation: 2 nights at Hotel Grand Coronal Sol or similar

This morning we check out of our hotel bound for Salamanca. We pause first in El Escorial, where we visit the Royal Monastery. We continue on and pause to view the medieval walls in Avila before arriving at our hotel in Salamanca. Salamanca is probably best known for having the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. This university is still what gives a charming ambiance to the town. Hundreds of students pass through the narrow streets and enjoy the numerous and beautifully decorated cafes until late at night. This charming town is unrivalled in its architectural purity. In central areas all recent buildings are built in Salamanca’s best tradition. The city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have dinner at a local restaurant tonight.

Day 12: Salamanca

Accommodation: Hotel Grand Coronal Sol or similar.

We meet our local guide this morning and have a field trip taking in Salamanca’s main sights. We visit the old and new Cathedrals, the House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) and the University. We have a free afternoon to continue to explore Salamanca at our own pace.

Day 13: Braga

Accommodation: 2 nights at Mercure Braga Centro or similar.

We check out of our hotel and depart for Portugal this morning. En route to Braga , we pause to explore Zamora. We arrive in Braga and check in to our hotel. Dinner tonight is at our hotel.

Day 14: Braga

Accommodation: Mercure Braga Centro or similar.

This morning, we meet our local guide for a full-day tour introducing us to Porto. We visit the cathedral and the Church of São Francisco. We stop in a local port lodge for a guided tour and tasting of port. En route back to Braga we pause to view the main sights of Guimarães. Dinner tonight is at leisure.

Day 15: Lisbon

Accommodation: 3 nights at Hotel Florida or similar.

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for the Portuguese capital. On the way we pause to explore Coimbra and arrive at Lisbon in time for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 16: Lisbon

Accommodation: Hotel Florida or similar.

This morning we meet our local guide for a half-day tour of Lisbon including entrance to the Royal Carriage Museum. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the city at leisure.

Day 17: Lisbon

Today we explore the coastal areas surrounding Lisbon. We travel first to Estoril and then on to Cascais. We pause in Cabo de Roca, to view Europe’s westernmost point, and also stop in Sintra where we pause for lunch (own arrangements). We carry on to Queluz to visit the Royal Palace and gardens before returning to Lisbon. Tonight we have dinner at a local restaurant where we are exposed to the traditional Portuguese art-form of the fado in an evening performance.

Day 18: Merida

Accommodation: 1 night at Hotel Velada Merida or similar.

We leave the Portuguese capital today as we travel to Mérida. En route we pause in Badajoz. Upon our arrival in Mérida, we meet our local guide and have a city tour during which we visit the Roman theatre, the amphitheatre, the Casa del Mitreo, and the National Museum of Roman Art. We have dinner at our hotel tonight.

Day 19: Seville

Accommodation: 3 nights at Hotel Sevilla Macarena or similar.

We depart Mérida for Seville this morning. We pause in Aracena with time to explore the town at our own pace and get some lunch (own arrangements). We arrive in Seville late afternoon.

Day 20: Seville

Accommodation: Hotel Sevilla Macarena or similar.

This morning, we meet our local guide for a tour that takes in the highlights of Seville. On our tour, we will visit the Alcazar, the cathedral, the Treasury and Giralda. We will also walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz. This afternoon is free for us to explore at leisure, and in the evening we will attend a flamenco show with a tapas dinner.

Day 21: Seville

Today we explore Jerez de la Fronterra on foot, where we will visit a sherry bodega for a tour and tasting. We then continue to Cadiz to view the city on our own, before returning to Seville.

Day 22: Granada

Accommodation: 2 nights at Barcelo Carmen Hotel or similar.

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for Granada . En route we meet a local guide in Cordoba where we are introduced to the highlights of the city. Our guide will take us to the Mezquita and Tower, the beautiful Mosque of Córdoba, before we continue on to Granada.

Day 23: Granada

Accommodation: Barcelo Carmen Hotel or similar.

We meet our local guide this morning and begin our exploration of Granada. We view the main sights of the city and visit the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real). We then enter the magnificent Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens. The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to explore Granada at leisure. We come together this evening for our farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 24: Granada

After breakfast, the tour will end today in Granada. (B)

• Group size is limited to a maximum of 16 participants.

Includes / Excludes

What’s included in our Tour

• 23 nights of hotel accommodation.
• 23 breakfasts and 13 dinners.
• Applicable entry fees and services of local guides.
• Touring by comfortable and modern coach.
• Field trips as indicated.
• Gratuities and necessary tips.
• Services of an Odyssey program leader.
• Detailed tour information booklet.

What’s not included in our Tour

• Return international airfare and departure taxes.
• Comprehensive international travel insurance.
• Items of a personal nature such as telephone calls and laundry.
• Meals not specified in the itinerary.

Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking / hiking up to 8 kilometers per day on uneven ground.

01 October 2024

Ends 24 October 2024 • 24 days

Change departure date

By booking two travellers sharing a room you save $2090 per person.

Payment Type

You can reserve your spot by paying a $1,000 pp deposit, for full details please see our Terms & Conditions .

Prices are per person and valid until 30th December 2024.

Make it a private tour

Easing your journey.

Crossing international borders with restrictions

The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:

For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.

Book With Confidence

If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.

See Terms and conditions for details.

Peace of Mind Travel

The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.

See Peace of Mind Travel for details.

This was by far the 'best' Tour I've experienced both with Odyssey and with other companies - small, pleasant group etc. The tour guidelines, itinerary etc were the best I've had in comparison to other tours. I particularly liked the graph of the expected weather in Spain and Portugal (makes packing easier). I'm a vegetarian and know that in a tour such as ours providing food for me can be fraught. Almost without exception the restaurant/hotel meals were worthy of a 5 star restaurant. My meals always met the five food group criteria and were beautifully presented - we even photographed some! The restaurants even managed vegetarian tapas! Carol T. May '19

This was a wonderful tour, crammed with experiences of Spain and Portugal, and all delivered apparently with the greatest ease. Well done! John M. May '19

Great small mature travellers tour. Well organised, great hotels , lovely food, local knowledgeable guides showed us around their towns. With entry included to the majority of sites. A comfortable small coach so the fourteen of us had plenty of room but we weren’t in a massive coach. It wasn’t really like the other tours following someone with a flag. We were more like a group of friends out exploring. Lesley and Ken S. May '19

I like Odyssey - it provides small groups where you can get to know one another. Angela L. Sep '18

This tour was really wonderful in its scope of meeting Spanish and Portuguese culture and history. Being able to link it in with my previous European travels was very meaningful to me. I was totally impressed by every aspect of the tour. Participant May 2018

Cannot speak too highly of our tour director, Stephan De Roeck. Stephan's local knowledge, command of the language, care for our welfare and unfailing good humour made everyone feel special. Participant May 2018

A wonderful experience. learnt a lot and enjoyed everything. The trip covered the places that i have wanted to see in Spain and Portugal. Participant May 2018

Reading List Download PDF

Spain: the centre of the world 1519-1682.

Robert Goodwin

n the sixteenth century, the Spaniards became the first nation in history to have worldwide reach; across most of Europe to the Americas, the Philippines, and India. Goodwin tells the story of Spain and the Spaniards, from great soldiers like the Duke of Alba to literary figures and artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Cervantes, and Lope de Vega, and the monarchs who ruled over them.

At the beginning of the modern age, Spaniards were caught between the excitement of change and a medieval world of chivalry and religious orthodoxy, they experienced a turbulent existential angst that fueled an exceptional Golden Age, a fluorescence of art, literature, poetry, and which inspired new ideas about International Law, merchant banking, and economic and social theory.

The Moor's Last Stand: How Seven Centuries of Muslim Rule in Spain Came to an End

Elizabeth Drayson

The Moor's Last Stand presents the poignant story of Boabdil, the last Muslim king of Granada. Betrayed by his family and undermined by faction and internal conflict, Boabdil was defeated in 1492 by the forces of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of the newly united kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. The Christian victory marked the completion of the long Christian reconquest of Spain and ended seven centuries in which Christians, Muslims and Jews had, for the most part, lived peacefully and profitably together. Five centuries after his death, Boabdil continues to be a potent symbol of resistance to the forces of western Christendom, and his image endures in contemporary culture.

Elizabeth Drayson presents a vivid account of Boabdil's life and times and considers the impact of his defeat then and now.

Moorish Spain

Richard A. Fletcher

Written in the same tradition as John Julius Norwich's engrossing accounts of Venice and Byzantium, Richard Fletcher's Moorish Spain entertains even as it enlightens. He tells the story of a vital period in Spanish history which transformed the culture and society, not only of Spain, but of the rest of Europe as well. Moorish influence transformed the architecture, art, literature and learning, and Fletcher combines this analysis with a crisp account of the wars, politics and sociological changes of the time.

Beginning in the year 711 and continuing for nearly a thousand years, the Islamic presence survived in Spain, at times flourishing, and at other times dwindling into warring fiefdoms. But the culture and science thereby brought to Spain, including long-buried knowledge from Greece, largely forgotten during Europe’s Dark Ages, was to have an enduring impact on the country as it emerged into the modern era. In this gracefully written history, Richard Fletcher reveals the Moorish culture in all its fascinating disparity and gives us history at its best: here is vivid storytelling by a renowned scholar.

The Revolution and Civil War in Spain

Pierre Broue, Emile Temine

An outstanding history that shows how a promising workers' movement ended in a fascist victory. What emerges most clearly in this detailed and long out of print history, is how the popular front held back radical measures that would have galvanised the working class and peasant base of the revolution, and decisively weakened Franco's forces. Author Pierre Broue way for many years a professor of contemporary history at the Institut d'Etudes politiques in Grenoble, and was a world-renowned specialist on the Communist and international workers' movements.

Homage to Catalonia

George Orwell

Because this war book is really about frustration as Orwell battles Fascism in Spain and takes a bullet in the throat for his troubles.

Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe

John Julius Norwich

'Never before had the world seen four such giants co-existing. Sometimes friends, more often enemies, always rivals, these four men together held Europe in the hollow of their hands.'

Four great princes - Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent - were born within a single decade. Each looms large in his country's history and, in this book, John Julius Norwich broadens the scope and shows how, against the rich background of the Renaissance and destruction of the Reformation, their wary obsession with one another laid the foundations for modern Europe. Individually, each man could hardly have been more different ­- from the scandals of Henry's six wives to Charles's monasticism - but, together, they dominated the world stage.

From the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a pageant of jousting, feasting and general carousing so lavish that it nearly bankrupted both France and England, to Suleiman's celebratory pyramid of 2,000 human heads (including those of seven Hungarian bishops) after the battle of Mohács; from Anne Boleyn's six-fingered hand (a potential sign of witchcraft) that had the pious nervously crossing themselves to the real story of the Maltese falcon, Four Princes is history at its vivid, entertaining best.

With a cast list that extends from Leonardo da Vinci to Barbarossa, and from Joanna the Mad to le roi grand-nez, John Julius Norwich offers the perfect guide to the most colourful century the world has ever known and brings the past to unforgettable life.

Ghosts of Spain: Travels Through a Country's Hidden Past

Giles Tremlett

The Spanish are reputed to be amongst Europe's most voluble people. So why have they kept silent about the terrors of the Spanish Civil War and the rule of dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco?

The appearance - sixty years after that war ended - of mass graves containing victims of General Franco's death squads has finally broken what Spaniards call 'the pact of forgetting'. At this charged moment, Giles Tremlett embarked on a journey around Spain - and through Spanish history.

As well as a moving exploration of Spanish politics, Tremlett's journey was also an attempt to make sense of his personal experience of the Spanish. Why do they dislike authority figures, but are cowed by a doctor's white coat? How had women embraced feminism without men noticing? What binds gypsies, jails and flamenco? Why do the Spanish go to plastic surgeons, donate their organs, visit brothels or take cocaine more than other Europeans?

'Lively and well-informed . . . at once a history, a journalistic inquiry and a travel book.' Sunday Telegraph

The Portuguese

Barry Hatton

Portugal is an established member of the European Union, one of the founders of the euro currency and a founder member of NATO. Yet it is an inconspicuous and largely overlooked country on the continent’s south-west rim. In the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Age of Discovery the Portuguese led Europe out of the Mediterranean into the Atlantic and they brought Asia and Europe together. Evidence of their one-time four-continent empire can still be felt, not least in the Portuguese language which is spoken by more than 220 million people from Brazil, across parts of Africa to Asia. Analyzing present-day society and culture, The Portuguese also considers the nation’s often tumultuous past. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake was one of Europe’s greatest natural disasters, strongly influencing continental thought and heralding Portugal’s extended decline. The Portuguese also weathered Europe’s longest dictatorship under twentieth-century ruler António Salazar. A 1974 military coup, called the Carnation Revolution, placed the Portuguese at the centre of Cold War attentions. Portugal’s quirky relationship with Spain, and with its oldest ally England, is also scrutinized. Portugal, which claims Europe’s oldest fixed borders, measures just 561 by 218 kilometres . Within that space, however, it offers a patchwork of widely differing and beautiful landscapes. With an easygoing and seductive lifestyle expressed most fully in their love of food, the Portuguese also have an anarchical streak evident in many facets of contemporary life. A veteran journalist and commentator on Portugal, the author paints an intimate portrait of a fascinating and at times contradictory country and its people.

The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain

Maria Rosa Menocal

A brilliant and fascinating portrait of medieval Spain explores the golden age when Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived together in an atmosphere of tolerance

Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture

Jose Saramago

When José Saramago decided to write a book about Portugal, his only desire was that it be unlike all other books on the subject, and in this he has certainly succeeded. Recording the events and observations of a journey across the length and breadth of the country he loves dearly, Saramago brings Portugal to life as only a writer of his brilliance can. Forfeiting the usual sources such as tourist guides and road maps, he scours the country with the eyes and ears of an observer fascinated by the ancient myths and history of his people. Whether it be an inaccessible medieval fortress set on a cliff, a wayside chapel thick with cobwebs, or a grand mansion in the city, the extraordinary places of this land come alive. Always meticulously attentive to those elements of ancient Portugal that persist today, he examines the country in its current period of rapid transition and growth. Journey to Portugal is an ode to a country and its rich traditions.

Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire

Roger Crowley

In Empires of the Sea and City of Fortune, New York Times bestselling author Roger Crowley established himself as our generation’s preeminent historian of the great European seafaring empires, and the go-to author for post-Crusade clashes of East and West. Now, in Conquerors, Crowley gives us the epic story of the emergence of Portugal, a small, poor nation that enjoyed a century of maritime supremacy thanks to the daring and navigational skill of its explorers—a tactical advantage no other country could match. Portugal’s discovery of a sea route to India, campaign of imperial conquest over Muslim rulers, and domination of the spice trade would forever disrupt the Mediterranean and build the first global economy.

Crowley relies on letters and eyewitness testimony to tell the story of tiny Portugal’s rapid and breathtaking rise to power. Conquerors reveals the Império Português in all of its splendor and ferocity, bringing to life the personalities of the enterprising and fanatical house of Aviz. Figures such as King Manuel “the Fortunate,” João II “the Perfect Prince,” marauding governor Afonso de Albuquerque, and explorer Vasco da Gama juggled their private ambitions and the public aims of the empire, often suffering astonishing losses in pursuit of a global fortune. Also central to the story of Portugal’s ascent was its drive to eradicate Islamic culture and establish a Christian empire in the Indian Ocean. Portuguese explorers pushed deep into the African continent in search of the mythical Christian king Prester John, and they ruthlessly besieged Indian port cities in their attempts to monopolize trade.

The discovery of a route to India around the horn of Africa was not only a brilliant breakthrough in navigation but heralded a complete upset of the world order. For the next century, no European empire was more ambitious, no rulers more rapacious than the kings of Portugal. In the process they created the first long-range maritime empire and set in motion the forces of globalization that now shape our world. At Crowley’s hand, the complete story of the Portuguese empire and the human cost of its ambition can finally be told.

James Michener

Spain is an immemorial land like no other, one that James A. Michener, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and celebrated citizen of the world, came to love as his own. Iberia is Michener’s enduring nonfiction tribute to his cherished second home. In the fresh and vivid prose that is his trademark, he not only reveals the celebrated history of bullfighters and warrior kings, painters and processions, cathedrals and olive orchards, he also shares the intimate, often hidden country he came to know, where the congeniality of living souls is thrust against the dark weight of history. Wild, contradictory, passionately beautiful, this is Spain as experienced by a master writer.

A Concise History of Spain

William D. Phillips Jr and Carla Rahn Phillips

The rich cultural and political life of Spain has emerged from its complex history, from the diversity of its peoples, and from continual contact with outside influences. This book traces that history from prehistoric times to the present, focusing particularly on culture, society, politics, and personalities. Written in an engaging style, it introduces readers to the key themes that have shaped Spain's history and culture. These include its varied landscapes and climates; the impact of waves of diverse human migrations; the importance of its location as a bridge between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and Europe and Africa; and religion, particularly militant Catholic Christianity and its centuries of conflict with Islam and Protestantism, as well as debates over the place of the Church in modern Spain. Illustrations, maps, and a guide to further reading, major cultural figures, and places to see, make the history of this fascinating country come alive.

Spain: A Literary Companion

Jimmy Burns

Spain has one of the richest cultures in the world - and one that has inspired writers throughout history.

Anyone visiting the country will want to know more about its literary heritage.

Jimmy Burns's 'Spain: A Literary Companion' is the perfect travel partner, a book that will open your eyes and allow you to view the country afresh - and introduce you to aspects of Spanish life you never knew existed.

Part personal travelogue, part anthology, this literary companion will surprise, entertain and, on occasion, move the reader.

It is a wide-ranging and incisive portrait of a country and its people: starting with the Roman poets, it journeys through Cervantes to Orwell and Hemingway.

Highlights include: the enduring nature of regional identity; the joys - and pitfalls - of Spanish food and wine; tributes to Spain's three cultures - Christian, Jewish and Muslim; the passions of flamenco and bullfighting; battlefield experiences from Wellington to the Civil War; and the changes to the country wrought by tourism.

"A fascinating portrait of a country that writers have always loved' - Robert Avon, best-selling author of 'Diary of an Angel'.

Jimmy Burns is an award winning journalist and author. His books include the internationally acclaimed 'Hand of God: The Life of Diego Maradona' and 'Barca: A People's Passion'. Born in Madrid, he has reported for the Financial Times, London Observer, BBC and the Economist, and was the FT correspondent in South America in the early 80s and his book on Argentina and the Falklands War, 'The Land That Lost Its Heroes', won the 1988 Somerset Maugham Award for non-fiction.

A Short History of Spain

Mary Platt Parmele

The history of Spain dates back to the Early Middle Ages. In 1516, Habsburg Spain unified a number of disparate predecessor kingdoms; its modern form of a constitutional monarchy was introduced in 1813, and the current democratic constitution dates to 1978. After the completion of the Reconquista, the kingdoms of Spain were united under Habsburg rule in 1516. At the same time, the Spanish Empire began to expand to the New World across the ocean, marking the beginning of the Golden Age of Spain, during which, from the early 1500s to the 1650s, Habsburg Spain was among the most powerful states in Europe.

Written in an engaging style, Mary Parmele’s concise study A Short History of Spain introduces readers to the key themes that have shaped modern Spain.

The New Spaniards

John Hooper

A fully revised, expanded and updated edition of this masterly portrayal of contemporary Spain.

The restoration of democracy in 1977 heralded a period of intense change that continues today. Spain has become a land of extraordinary paradoxes in which traditional attitudes and contemporary preoccupations exist side by side. Focussing on issues which affect ordinary Spaniards, from housing to gambling, from changing sexual mores to rising crime rates. John Hooper's fascinating study brings to life the new Spain of the twenty-first century.

Passionate, evocative and beautifully written, Spain is a companion to the country: its people, its history - and its character. First published in 1964 and no less compelling today, Jan Morris's classic work is back in print, bringing Spain, its glory and its tragedy, vividly to life.

Jan Morris's collection of travel writing and reportage spans over five decades and includes such titles as Venice, Coronation Everest, Hong Kong, Spain, Manhattan '45, A Writer's World and the Pax Britannica Trilogy. Hav , her novel, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

'The most evocative book ever written about Spain.' Independent

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Articles about Spain and Portugal

'Queen of the Sea': Lisbon: The Definitive Guide for Travellers

‘Queen of the Sea’: A History of Lisbon In 1554, the writer Damião de Góis claimed that out of all the European cities, only Lisbon and her rival Seville ‘could rightfully be called Ladies and…

Ancient Routes, Fresh Eyes: European Pilgrimage Routes for the Modern Traveller

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Atlantic Ocean and How it Shaped Ancient Communities In Europe

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History & European Pilgrim Walks

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Enjoy escorted small group tours for mature and senior travellers to Portugal. Designed for couples and solo travellers who like to explore and enjoy learning as they travel to Lisbon , Mafra , Nazare, and Obidos and beyond.

Barcelona Travel Notes

Barcelona is one of the cultural highlights of Europe. Situated on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, the Catalan capital is famous for its distinctive architecture and its world-renowned food and wine.

Bilbao, Spain

n the heart of Basque Country, 11km from the Bay of Biscay, you will find Bilbao, one of northern Spain’s greatest treasures. Renowned for its famous Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao’s architectural wonders are surrounded by a ring of rolling green hills and lies on the mouth of the Nervion River. Once an industrial city, it has been transformed into a design city, where sleek new buildings sit alongside Gothic cathedrals and art nouveau train stations. At the end of 2017, Bilbao was chosen the Best European City 2018 at The Urbanism Awards 2018 and it is not hard to see why, with a new rapid transit system, a tram line and the Azkuna Zentroa, a wine storage warehouse turned cultural centre. This Spanish city has it all: vibrant history and culture, modern architecture, beautiful scenery and spectacular regional cuisine.

Burgos, Spain

Burgos, Spain Burgos in northern Spain is the country’s original heartland, initially known as Castilla la Vieja – the old part of the kingdom of Castile. The city of Burgos, founded in 884, was the…

Figueres, Spain

On Catalonia’s Costa Brava, 45 minutes from Girona, lies the small town of Figueres, the birthplace of surrealist artist Salvador Dali and home to the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dali. Apart from the Dali museum, Figueres is a lively and vibrant town with great restaurants, local boutiques, interesting architecture and dreamy beaches only a short drive away.

Granada, Spain

Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain’s southernmost region of Andalucia, Granada was the last stronghold of the Spanish Moors and the brilliance of Moorish spirit and culture endures in the city today. The Alhambra, the palace fortress of the Nasrid sultans, is the heart and soul of Granada and one of Spain’s most popular tourist attractions. With its magnificent palaces and gardens, the Alhambra is an unmissable sight but the city itself also has a lot on offer including buzzing cafes and restaurants, vibrant tapas bars, a bustling Jewish quarter and funky street art.

Highlights of Madrid

Learn about Madrid and its history on a small group package tour for mature and senior travellers for couples and single travellers. Odyssey offers a range of tours that take the traveller to Madrid in its collection of Spain tours.

Highlights of Seville

Seville is a lively and disarming city, and a popular tourist destination in Spain.

Montserrat, Spain

An hour outside of Barcelona is the impressive multi-peaked mountain range known as Montserrat. Within its dramatic, rocky mountain tops hides the Benedictine Monestir de Montserrat, a monastery popular with visitors from all over the world. Everyone from pilgrims and culture lovers to hikers and speleologists love the spot thanks to the gorgeous hiking terrain and beautiful abbey village built into the mountain and to top it all off, it is an easy day trip from Barcelona. Today, Montserrat is often used to refer to both Montserrat mountain and Montserrat Abbey.

Pilgrimages of the World- Advice for Seniors & Mature travellers

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Pamplona, Spain

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Escorted small group tours for mature and senior travellers to Spain. Designed for couples and solo travellers who like to explore and enjoy learning as they travel to Madrid , Barcelona , Seville, Bilboa, Burgos , Figueres, Zaragoza and so much more.

Tarragona, Spain

Just over an hour by train from Barcelona is the magnificent port city of Tarragona. Located on the Costa Daurada, Tarragona is home to sparkling beaches and a wealth of Roman ruins. Once a major Roman city, you can feel Tarragona’s history all throughout the city as you wander through the charming old town. Perched on the Mediterranean, you can also expect fantastic places to eat and delicious food. Romesco, a sauce usually made with dry peppers, garlic, oil and nuts, originated in Tarragona and you can find it at restaurants paired with fresh seafood and fish. The province is also known for its fine wine.

The Sagrada Familia, Spain

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Toledo, Spain

An hour south of Madrid, sitting atop a gorge overlooking the Tagus River, is the magnificent city of Toledo. Often called 'Imperial City' because it was the main venue of the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Spain, Toledo is a medieval town that has been heavily influenced by its mix of Christian, Jewish and Muslim inhabitants throughout the centuries. You will find monuments scattered throughout the city that reflect Toledo's 'three cultures' and many of the city's most visited attractions are religious. The historic city of Toledo was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 for being 'a repository of more than 2,000 years of history' and for its architectural masterpieces that hold such importance for Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Braga, Portugal

Braga is Portugal's third-largest city and its most important religious centre. With almost four dozen places of worship, Braga is something of an ecclesiastical destination, particularly around Easter. However, a large student population also means that, despite the numerous churches, Braga is not just a historical or religious tourist site but a dynamic and eclectic city with a lot on offer. Braga offers a slice of authentic Portugal, nestled amongst hills beside the spectacular Peneda-Geres National Park and just an hour from Porto. With a moderate climate all year round and unhurried pace of life, Braga offers the perfect environment to explore the city's cultural offerings and culinary scene.

Convent of Christ, Tomar, Portugal

The Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo) in Tomar, Portugal is a former Roman Catholic convent that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 12th century, it was originally the Convent of the Knights Templar of Tomar.

Evora, Portugal

Discover the beautifully-preserved medieval town of Evora with fantastic Roman ruins to explore, Moorish architecture and Gothic churches

Óbidos, Portugal

A tiny, charming town with over 3000 inhabitants, Obidos is an hour from Lisbon and feels like stepping back in time. The medieval village's historic centre features picturesque cobbled streets and traditional white houses, surrounded by a crenellated castle wall which is accessible by foot. The entire scene is like something out of a story book, enhanced by the surrounding hilly landscape.

Mafra, Portugal

A forty-minute drive from Lisbon, you will find the town of Mafra near the west coast of Portugal. The town is known for the landmark that dominates it, the opulent Palácio Nacional de Mafra (Mafra National Palace), a Baroque masterpiece that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. The beautiful palace complex includes the king's and queen's palaces, a royal chapel, a monastery and an impressive library. The buildings are surrounded by magnificent gardens and a royal hunting park known as Tapada.

Nazare, Portugal

An ancient fishing village turned popular seaside resort, Nazare is only an hour and a half from Lisbon but it feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The town became world-famous almost a decade ago when Garrett McNamara, a 51-year-old from Hawaii surfed a 78-foot wave (23 metres) at one of the town's beaches, breaking the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed. The event put Nazare on the map and surfers flocked to the picturesque coastal village desperate to catch the giant waves that many locals have spent years avoiding. For travellers, it is a great spot to relax and eat fresh fish while taking in the beautiful scenery and watching surfers do their bit.

The Golden Years of Lisbon

Successfully breaking the Venetian monopoly on spices and also cornering the African market made Portugal cash-rich. Pepper, which the Portuguese bought for two cruzados (gold coin) a sack in Cochin, India, was sold for 30 cruzados in Lisbon.

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Spain & Portugal Private and Small Group Walking Tours

Our expert was 5 stars in every way. She was very knowledgeable, easy to be with and navigated us through a six-hour tour with ease and grace. Her narrative was not only educational but fun and enlightening. She moved us through the city with ease and at the end of the day felt like a friend!   – Kim, October 2022

Introduction to Barcelona Tour: Gothic Quarter

Sagrada Familia and Hospital de Sant Pau Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Gaudi Tour with Skip-the-Line tickets to Casa Batlló

Barcelona in a Day Tour with Sagrada Familia Skip-the-Line Tickets

Barcelona Tapas Food Tour

Sites and Insights: An Expert-Led Lisbon Welcome Tour

Lisbon in a Day Tour with Bairro Alto and a View of São Jorge Castle

Alfama Neighborhood Tour

Full-Day Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon

Half-Day Sintra Tour

Sites and Insights: An Expert-Led Madrid Welcome Tour

Prado Museum Tour: A Guided Crash Course with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Madrid in a Day Tour with the Prado Museum and Plaza Mayor

Full-Day Toledo Day Trip from Madrid

Madrid Highlights Tour for Kids

Introduction to Porto Tour

Porto Wine Tour and Tasting

Half-Day Guimarães Day Trip from Porto

Porto Food Tour: Best of Portuguese Cuisine

Douro Valley Full Day Wine Tour from Porto

Introduction to Seville Tour

Granada Alhambra Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Tour: A Guided Crash Course with Skip-the-Line Tickets

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Explore Spain & Portugal

15 days | from the hills of granada to the beaches of lisbon.

Follow an enticing trail of delicious tapas, avant-garde art, architectural triumphs and dramatic history on this 15-day tour through Spain and Portugal. Travel the scenic route from Madrid, relaxing on the beach in Algarve, sipping wine in Porto, enjoying the rolling green hills of Granada and being charmed by Andalusian Seville. Admire the masterpieces of Picasso, Dali and Gaudi, experience the passion of flamenco, taste some of the best port in the world and embrace the culture of these two spirited countries with a local leader to show you the way.

Trip overview

• Get lost in the labyrinthine streets of the Albaicin in Granada before crossing the river to visit the imposing Moorish fortress of the Alhambra.
• Unwind in a laidback fishing town in the Algarve, soaking up the sun on the beach and enjoying an included boat trip around the rocky cliffs of the coast.
• Join pilgrims along the last leg of the famous Camino de Santiago journey as they reach the historic cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
• Sit back, relax and watch the water flow by in one of Porto’s river restaurants while you sample a couple of varieties of the city’s signature wine – port!
• Start and end your adventure in Madrid, home to art galleries, colourful architecture and some of the best restaurants in Spain.
• By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, Open Arms. Donations help them safeguard the physical integrity and rights of migrant people in imminent danger who have fled their homes across the Mediterranean Sea.
• This trip covers a lot of ground and the majority of travel is done by trains and public buses. It's a good time to sit back, relax and let the scenery roll past your window. Please read the Itinerary carefully for travel time estimates.
• We recommend packing light and smart for this trip as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations and hotels, which can include going up and down multiple flights of stairs, and across cobblestones. Train stations often don’t have lifts available.
• Summer temperatures can be extreme in this region (over 40C/104F). It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat, and drink plenty of water. Many hotels in Europe have fans, not air conditioning. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
• Space is at a premium in Europe and your hotel is no exception. Rooms are often small, but usually the central location makes up for that. For those travelling as a duo, hotels in Europe often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together.

Hola! Welcome to Madrid, the Spanish capital known for its elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. As there's limited time for sightseeing in Madrid, booking a few extra days isn't a bad idea. After the welcome meeting, perhaps get into the mind of a Madrileno with some tapas and Rioja with your fellow travellers.

• Hotel (1 night)

There are no meals included on this day.

• Madrid - Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza - EUR13
• Madrid - Museo del Prado - EUR15
• Madrid - Real Jardín Botánico - EUR6
• Madrid - Museo Reina Sofia - EUR10
• Madrid - Royal Palace - EUR14
• Madrid - Tapas Urban Adventure - EUR99

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel by early evening, you may wish to arrive a day or two early. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

Take a bus to Granada today. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Granada is packed with Moorish architecture, great tapas bars and natural beauty. Take a walk around the old Arab quarter of the Albaicin, a labyrinth of crooked alleys, fountains, plazas and whitewashed houses, or the 'Alcaiceria' (old silk market area) and observe the craftworks on sale that include ceramics, marquetry and leather goods. If you're feeling energetic, climb the steep streets up to the Mirador de San Nicolas for sunset views over the famous Alhambra. If you have time, perhaps check out the historic Renaissance Cathedral and Capilla Real, or watch the world go by as you indulge in some tapas at a bar. Granada is the kind of city to leave your guidebook behind and trust your intuition.

Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

Today make a visit to Granada's impressive Alhambra Palace. An entrance ticket is included in the trip and grants you the visit of the Palace and the Gardens. Discover this 11th-century marvel and its dominating red fortress towers, palace decor, architectural styles, and magnificent gardens. It's all set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. With fountains, impeccably maintained hedges and pools, centuries-old defensive walls, turrets, and views overlooking Granada, this renowned palace will not disappoint. Make sure you allow enough time as the Alhambra is made up of three parts: the Alcazaba, the 11th-century Muslim wing which features spectacular views from its towers; the Palacio Nazaries, the centre of the complex; and Generalife, the summer palace of the sultans. After your visit ask your leader to take you deeper into Granada’s Moorish Albaicin quarter and to the area of traditional tea houses. The view from this area across to the Alhambra Palace is not to be missed. Tonight, perhaps meet up again with the group for dinner.

• Granada - Guided Visit to Alhambra Palace & Gardens
• Granada - Mirador de San Nicolas - Free
• Granada - Science Park - EUR7
• Granada - Science Park Planetarium - EUR2
• Granada - Catedral de Granada - EUR6
• Granada - Capilla Real - EUR6

Due to high demand and to be able to control visitor numbers, local authorities have implemented a timed ticket slot system for the Alhambra Palace. Depending on your departure date the time of your group's visit can vary. Please note that tickets are nominative, and you will need to advise us of your passport details at the time of booking as we are unable to organise tickets for you without them. Details will be counter checked at the entrance, so make sure you bring your passport with you at the time of the visit.

Travel by bus and train this morning to the vibrant city of Seville. If the legends are to be believed, Seville was founded by Hercules and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilisation. After the Christian reconquest, it became thought of as the portal to the 'New World', and is today the capital of Andalucia and the largest city in southern Spain. Known for its important monuments and fascinating history, Seville is universally famous for being a joyous town. Sevillians are well known for their wit and sparkle, and the city itself is striking for its vitality and flamboyance – the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro. Seville is also famous for its oranges, tapas and flamenco, all three of which are ingrained in the fabric of the city and its proud people. As the rest of the day is free for you to explore, why not go and experience it all in person. Barrio Santa Cruz, with its multicultural history, is a great place to start. This shaded warren was designed in medieval times to provide refuge from the great Andalusian heat. Or maybe spend your evening San Jacinto, the bustling main street of the Triana quarter, and discover the interesting and adventurous food on offer.

Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.

Please note that currently there are track works on the train line between Granada and Seville. We will therefore travel by both train and bus on this stretch of our journey.

Today is a free day to discover Seville. Checking out the world's largest Gothic cathedral is a must. You can also the climb the cathedral's adjoining Moorish tower, known as La Giralda. While you might have to line up, it's well worth it for the views over the city. Visit the magnificent Alcazar, a complex of palaces used by Moorish and Christian rulers through the ages, and now gaining international fame as a shooting location for ‘Game of Thrones’. Wander through the fragrant gardens and examine the Moorish and Mudejar architecture. If you feel like an injection of culture, explore Seville's Museum of Fine Arts or the Archaeological Museum. As Seville is the tapas capital of Spain, be sure to sample some of the tasty morsels on offer in one of the city's many tapas bars. In the evening, catch a local flamenco performance with the group. Charged with emotion and drama, this powerful, fiery show is a real highlight!

• Seville - Evening Flamenco Performance
• Seville - Torre del Oro - EUR3
• Seville - Santa Paula Convent - EUR3
• Seville - Indias Archive - Free
• Seville - Museum of Fine Arts - EUR2
• Seville - Archaeological Museum - EUR3
• Seville - Andalusian Contemporary Art Centre - EUR3
• Seville - Guided Tour including Alcazar - EUR13
• Seville - Museum of Art & Popular Customs - EUR2
• Seville - Cathedral & Giralda Tower - EUR12
• Seville - Casa de Pilatos - EUR10

Today board a bus and cross the border into Portugal. Travel through fertile plain landscapes of orange orchards, olive groves and maize fields to the Algarve, Portugal's stunning southern coast, where your destination is the seaside town of Lagos. Set on the banks of the Rio Bensafrim, Lagos is gifted with a temperate Mediterranean climate, a bounty of beaches and a rich heritage. When you arrive, you might want to take a walk around town. Wandering around Lagos’s old town enclosed within 16th century walls, on pretty cobbled streets and picturesque plazas and churches, is definitely a good thing to do. In the evening, why not head to feast on freshly caught fish at a restaurant or cafe overlooking the water and behold a golden sky at sunset, before throwing yourself into Lagos' pumping nightlife.

Most of today is free to enjoy Lagos and its surrounds. At some point during the day (depending on availability) you will enjoy an included boat tour around Algarve’s rocky cliffs. Explore the jagged, weathered rockface of Pinta da Piedade, full of arches, towers, grottoes and caves that have been eroded into this fabulous limestone coast. Your leader will inform you about the exact time in advance so you can plan other activities around that. For the rest of the day, perhaps pack a book and towel and head to the beach. The vast sands of Meia Praia stretch for over 4 km, and it is peppered with beach bars, cafes and sun lounges. Also, plenty of water sports are on offer in the summer. In addition, there are numerous boat trip options, focusing on birdwatching, fishing, or even spotting the Algarve dolphins. Praia do Porto de Mos and Camilo Beach are also good options, lovely water and sands surrounded by great rock formations. Take a stroll through the quaint alleys of central Lagos, or head down to the waterfront to watch the boats come in. Just ask your leader for any tips if you’re unsure.

• Lagos - Algarve Cliff Boat Trip

Today head north by public bus to Lisbon. As one of Europe's most pleasant and affordable capital cities, Lisbon combines the best elements of Portuguese life, offering fantastic architecture, a multicultural population, delicious seafood and non-stop nightlife. When you arrive, head out on an orientation walk of Lisbon to find your feet. There are some great modern and ancient art museums to check out, such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, the National Museum of Contemporary Art or the National Coach Museum. Your afternoon and evening is then free, so maybe head to the grand Naval Museum for an insight into the history of Portuguese navigation. You can roam through the charming narrow streets of local neighbourhoods and see local life play out. Maybe simply sit back in one of many outdoors restaurants and cafes – watching the life go by is definitely one of the best ways to relax in Lisbon. As the sun goes down, some of Lisbon's best nightlife centres on the neighbourhood of Bairro Alto, where you can enjoy an emotional fado performance (traditional Portuguese music).

• Lisbon - Fado Show with Dinner - EUR50

Your travel time today will b approximately 4 hours.

Today is a free day to further discover Lisbon, which is located on the banks of the Tagus (Tejo) River and is truly one of Europe’s great cities. Much of Lisbon’s character and charm lies in its beautiful renovated buildings, grand boulevards and impressive castles and churches. Maybe head out this morning on a tour to visit to the medieval citadel in the city centre of Lisbon. Discover the medieval citadel of Sao Jorge Castle, which dates back to Moorish times and sits on the highest point of the Old Town. Look down on a city swarming with endless angular white houses and buildings with distinct red terracotta rooftops. From the citadel, this makes a contrasting panorama when viewed against the deep blue of the sky and ocean. With the rest of your free time today, perhaps catch a tram or hire a bike and cycle along the water to the historic neighbourhood of Belem. Make sure you try a sumptuous custard tart at the famous Casa Pasteis de Belem. Relax at a cafe in hilly Alfama, or check out the fascinating street art spread throughout the city.

• Lisbon - Naval Museum - EUR7
• Lisbon - National Art Museum - EUR6
• Lisbon - Folk Art Museum - EUR5
• Lisbon - Oceanarium - EUR25
• Lisbon - Puppet Museum - EUR5
• Lisbon - Gulbenkian Museum - EUR10
• Lisbon - Sao Jorge Castle - EUR15
• Lisbon - Belem Tower and Monastery - EUR20

Continue north on a local bus to Porto, the capital of the north that sits between a river and the Atlantic Ocean. Stretching along the banks of the River Douro, Porto is one of Portugal's most romantic cities. Known for majestic bridges, medieval riverside district with its cobbled streets, merchants’ houses and cafes, Porto is also well known for one more thing – as the birthplace of the fortified wine, port. Indulge in an included group tasting of some famous tawny and ruby ports at one of the many wine houses across the river. Most of the grapes are grown and harvested in the nearby Douro Valley. If sampling the best from the region piques curiosity, why not learn more about the history of wine and port making at the Museu do Vinho later on in the afternoon. Alternatively, spend the evening soaking up the atmosphere of this coastal city in numerous cafes and restaurants that Porto has to offer.

• Porto - Port Wine Tasting

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Today is a free day to explore Porto. The city's World Heritage-listed Ribeira district is packed with twisting alleys, staircases, and baroque churches, and is great to explore on foot. Sao Francisco church is known for its lavish interior with ornate gilded carvings. The palatial 19th-century Palácio de Bolsa, formerly a stock market, was built to impress potential European investors. For a sensational view of the whole town head to the Torre dos Clerigos (Clerigos Tower). Head down Allies Avenue to see the French-inspired buildings, then make a turn for Bolhão Market. This is the city’s most famed market, bursting with fresh produce and other goodies. Up in the cathedral area you’ll find the oldest neighbourhood in Porto and a place where you’ll see its true soul. Boat cruises along the Rio Douro operate several times a day, offering insight into the history of Porto's six famous bridges. A cruise is also a great chance to snap some great photos of the colourful tiled houses lined up along the riverbank. For dinner, make sure you try the country’s most famous sandwich – the francesinha – then head to Galerias Paris Street for nightlife.

• Porto - Livraria Lello - EUR8
• Porto - Clerigos Tower - EUR8
• Porto - Serralves Foundation - EUR20
• Porto - Bolhao Market - Free

Today board a bus bound for Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The capital of Galicia became a symbol of the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam and is famous as the culmination point for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago. Soak up the religious energy in the cathedral where St James, one of the 12 Apostles, is purportedly buried. The cathedral was consecrated in 1211 and is the central point within the medieval walls of the old town, standing majestically on the Plaza del Obradoiro with its towers soaring above the town. Elaborately carved stone facades open onto grand plazas, full of pilgrims and locals spending their day in this atmospheric place. Maybe join them in one of the cafes, sitting back and listening to many of the street artists performing on the streets of the old town. Visit the cathedral and do as pilgrims do – circle the main altar admiring the greatness of the place. Tonight, maybe and explore the streets close to the cathedral for Galician specialties. Perhaps try peppers of Padron and empanadas (Galician pies, filled with meat or seafood).

Today you'll have the opportunity to join pilgrims on the last stretch of the Santiago de Compostela route. Take an early bus to Amenal village where the 18 km walk begins. The trek will take you through the villages, fields and rivers of Galicia. In Lavacolla village you'll cross the river where medieval pilgrims traditionally bathed in the river to purify themselves before arriving in the holy city. From here, ascend again to the Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy), so called for the feeling when pilgrims would catch their first sight of the towers of Compostela Cathedral. Embrace the atmosphere up here on the mount, alongside some walkers who may have trekked over 800 km to be here. The entire walk takes approximately 4 to 6 hours to complete. It is important that you wear comfortable footwear and bring a rain coat, as weather in this region of Spain can be unpredictable, even during the summer months. Once back in Santiago the rest of the day is free for you to explore. Santiago de Compostela is a World Heritage site, an open-air museum that holds many delights within its walls – the lively squares, the market and the University buildings are must sees. For you final night in town, maybe wander down the streets of Rua do Franco and Rua da Raina to try some tapas.

• Santiago de Compostela - Camino de Santiago Hike
• Santiago de Compostela - Visit to a Local Cheesemaker - EUR20
• Santiago de Compostela - Bike Hire - EUR10
• Santiago de Compostela - Pilgrimage Museum - EUR2
• Santiago de Compostela - Cathedral - EUR12

Please speak to your leader if you are unsure whether the hike activity is suitable for you. For those not wanting to do in the walk, there are plenty of things to keep you entertained in town for the day. Please note that this activity is subject to weather conditions.

Today, you'll take a train back to Madrid. When you arrive, check into your hotel and then head out on an orientation walk with your leader to get your bearings. Then, the rest of the day is free for your to explore how you wish. Maybe hang out in El Retiro Park or explore Prado Museum’s works by Goya, Velazquez and other Spanish masters. Tonight, why not ask your leader the best spot for dinner and head out with your fellow travellers to cheers to a trip well-travelled.

Today your Spain and Portugal adventure comes to an end. There are no activities planned so you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. If you'd like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent.

9 breakfasts

Train, Public bus, Metro, Taxi

Hotel (14 nights)

Dates and availability

Important notes.

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. Please provide your full name and passport details at the time of booking so that we can secure Alhambra entrance tickets for you. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 60 days of departure. In some cases, without these details, we may not be able to obtain entrance tickets for you.

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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Spain & Portugal Discovery with Fado Show & Douro River Cruise

Madrid, Salamanca, Porto, Coimbra District, Aveiro District, Nazare, Obidos, Lisbon District

Embrace the magic of northern Spain and the enchanting towns of Portugal on this spectacular small-group tour across the Iberian Peninsula. Traverse a wildly beautiful landscape on your way to board an enthralling Douro River cruise in Porto and fall for the allure of Salamanca's sun-soaked charms. Sample the piquant flavours of the region as you savour tantalising tapas in Madrid and enjoy a magnificent Portuguese feast to the sound of traditional music at one of Lisbon’s oldest fado venues. Discover architectural triumphs, from the singular masterpiece of the Guggenheim Museum to the Romanesque cathedral of Se Velha in Coimbra.

Travel comfortably in your private coach and learn local stories with the help of your expert English-speaking guide as you visit fairytale villages in the Portuguese countryside, such as Tomar, the former seat of the Knights Templar. Watch the colossal Atlantic waves crashing in at surfing hotspot Nazare and mix with the spirited locals as you immerse yourself in a cultural kaleidoscope on this enchanting journey.

Bienvenidos a España! A truly cosmopolitan city, Madrid is the gateway to Spain’s arts and culture, tantalising cuisine and diverse architecture.

Upon arrival at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), take your private transfer to your hotel for check-in, then spend the day at your leisure exploring Spain’s thriving capital. Stroll the elegant boulevards and manicured parks, then live the Spanish life and step into one of the vibrant bars for ‘la hora del vermut’ or Vermouth Hour.

This evening, meet your tour director and fellow travellers at your hotel for a briefing on the exciting adventure to come.

Enjoy a buffet breakfast at your hotel, then set out for a morning tour of this thriving city. From the busy squares of Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa to the storied streets of Barrio de Moreria and the Habsburg neighbourhood, and the neoclassical Fountain of Neptune, discover the living history of this bustling metropolis with the direction of your expert local guide.

After a morning of cultural immersion, the afternoon is yours to enjoy at your own pace. This evening, come together as a group for a welcome dinner at a local tapas restaurant and sample the fragrant flavours and piquant spices of Spanish cuisine.

Optional activity:

• Toledo afternoon tour (surcharges apply).

Bid farewell to Madrid (for now) as you travel to the historical university town of Salamanca. Tucked away among rolling hills, this medieval town is home to one of the oldest operating universities in the world.

With free time to explore, you can immerse yourself in its architectural and artistic wealth, from the stained-glass atrium of the Casa Lis art museum to the shell-covered walls of Casa de las Conchas.

Rise, shine and board your private luxury coach as you cross the border to picturesque Portugal. Stop first at serene Pinhao on the banks of the Douro River, where you’ll visit the local vineyards and centenary cellars that have earned Pinhao its place in the wine world. Explore the complex local blends on a special tasting experience and relish a delicious lunch made with local produce.

Continue to Porto, one of Europe’s oldest towns, and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Opt to stroll through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed streets, visit the impressive Casa da Música concert hall or sample a hearty francesinha (toasted sandwich) – a Porto specialty.

Wake for a day of discovery and uncover Porto on a guided tour. Admire the fine craftsmanship of Porto Cathedral, the elaborate Stock Exchange Palace and the meticulous interior of Igreja de Santa Clara church.

Later, cruise down the peaceful waters of the Douro River. Watch as the twin cities of Porto and Gaia pass by on opposite banks, and gaze in awe at Porto’s countless stunning bridges.

Back on land, spend your evening freely, exploring the romantic streets and maybe choosing to try a glass of the city’s famous port wine.

Optional activities:

• Guimaraes excursion (surcharges apply).

Be sure to fuel up at breakfast before embarking on the day’s adventure. Your first stop is Aveiro, known as the ‘Portuguese Venice’. See just why the city has earned this reputation as you cruise along the beautiful canals aboard a moliceiro boat, named for the algae they once harvested along the Ria de Aveiro.

Spend some time wandering at your leisure, exploring the old Beira Mar neighbourhood and the Mercado do Peixe – Aveiro’s bustling fish market.

Travel onward to Coimbra, the birthplace of fado – a popular style of traditional Portuguese music. With your abundant free time, you may choose to explore the historic streets climbing up from the banks of the Rio Mondego. Another famed university town, Coimbra’s buildings date back to the 12th century, including the Romanesque wonder of Se Velha Cathedral.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then set your sights on the idyllic towns of the Portuguese countryside. Start your day in historic Tomar, former seat of the Order of the Knights Templar, where you can see the Convent of Christ. This Gothic and Manueline masterpiece was once a 12th-century Templar stronghold and took over five centuries to complete.

Continue to the picturesque fishing town of Nazare, famed for its world-class surfing. Spend your free time appreciating the rolling Atlantic at North Beach, where thrill-seekers try their luck among gargantuan waves averaging 15 metres high.

Rounding out the day is peaceful Obidos. Wander freely through this medieval town and marvel at the superbly preserved castle and 16th-century aqueduct.

Later, arrive in the vibrant city of Lisbon, where you can get a taste of its beloved architecture, delicious seafood and thriving nightlife.

After breakfast, it’s time to hit the streets of Lisbon on a morning sightseeing tour. Traverse the main squares and avenues, passing Belem Tower and the serene Jeronimos Monastery, as well as the imposing Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument of the Discoverers) on the northern bank of the Tagus River and the grand Marquis of Pombal Square.

The rest of the afternoon will be free to wander through the city streets or perhaps visit the Alfama Quarter, the oldest and most historical part of Portugal's capital.

This evening, enjoy a traditional Portuguese dinner and fado performance at one of the oldest venues in the city.

Tuck into breakfast before saying goodbye to Portugal as you travel by private coach across the border to Merida. Capital of the western Spanish region of Extremadura, Merida’s famed Roman ruins date back to the 1st century BCE.

Spend time exploring the historic remains of this ancient colony and stand at the centre of the miraculously preserved Roman Theatre.

Continue to Madrid and check in at your hotel, before joining your group for a mouthwatering farewell dinner.

Enjoy one last buffet breakfast at your luxurious hotel and bid farewell to Spain. Take your private transfer to Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), where your Iberian adventure concludes.

Home to fairytale-like towns – where white-washed homes topped by terra cotta tile roofs climb their way up to castle-crowned hills – and energetic cities filled with colour, Portugal is an incredbly scenic addition to any European tour. Known for it's unique inheritance of Moroccon-inspired design in the form of tiling, the facades of city streets here somehow seem to radiate with an extra burst of shine and pop of colour. Discover streets that positively glisten, paved in tile mosaics known as calcada portuguesas. Even today they’re painstakingly laid down by hand, following a process created hundreds of years ago.

• Nine nights of accommodation at handpicked hotels
• 12 meals included – eight breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners as per itinerary
• Welcome tapas dinner in Madrid
• Traditional fado dinner show in Lisbon
• Glide along the Douro River between Porto and Gaia
• Wine tasting and lunch at local vineyard in Pinhao
• See fairytale towns in Portugal – Coimbra, Nazare and Obidos
• See the former seat of the Knights Templar in Tomar
• Cruise the canals of Aveiro, known as the ‘Portuguese Venice’
• Visit the ancient Roman Theatre of Merida
• Join city tours of Madrid, Salamanca, Porto and Lisbon
• Dedicated tour director throughout your journey
• Travel in an extra-spacious private luxury coach
• Receive roundtrip airport transfers
• City taxes and entry fees as per the itinerary

Booking Summary: After you book, please follow the instructions in your booking summary email and ensure you complete your Traveller Details in full.

• Luxury Escapes asks that you please complete the Traveller Details form in your ‘My Escapes’ account within 7 days of booking. Following its completion, our Tours Concierge Team will be in touch to assist with any additional arrangements – including flights.
• Traveller Details are required in full to confirm all arrangements for your tour. Please complete the Traveller Details form as soon as possible in your ‘My Escapes’ account. Failure to complete the form within 60 days of departure may result in losing your spot on the tour.
• If your booking is on a non-guaranteed departure, this initial email is not your tour confirmation. Tours often require a minimum number of travellers to go ahead, so your departure may not be guaranteed immediately.
• Please note that for guaranteed departures, a minimum of two people are required to book. In the event that only one passenger has booked, you will be given the opportunity to move your departure to another date.
• Once there is an update on the status of your tour, you will be contacted via email by the Luxury Escapes Tours Concierge Team, and they will advise whether the tour has been confirmed. Please do not book flights or make any non-flexible arrangements until you receive this update.
• Should you require assistance with your tour, please contact our Tours Concierge Team at [email protected], who will be happy to assist with any of your queries and who will support you right up until you return from your journey.
• For tours that allow children, the child must be 6 years or over and must share a room with an adult (18+).
• Children are the same price as adults.

7-Day Change of Mind ‘No Questions Asked’ Refund Guarantee:

• Things don’t always work out. Our 7-Day Change of Mind Guarantee is there to help. Bookings (except for cruise bookings and flights which are subject to the cancellation terms of the relevant supplier) may be cancelled with a full refund if cancellation occurs strictly within 7 days from the date of purchase and provided that the cancellation is made no less than 90 days prior to the departure date.
• All booking Deposits are non-refundable.
• After final payment is received, bookings are non-refundable unless otherwise provided for in our refund policy. Cancellations outside of the 7-Day Change of Mind Guarantee period will not be provided, except as required by Australian Consumer Law, your local law or as otherwise provided for in the Fine Print.
• Where Luxury Escapes Tours may allow a cancellation for credit due to exceptional circumstances (and at its sole discretion) and where a cancellation/credit is not otherwise permitted, a service fee of A$300 per person will apply.
• For Trusted Partner operated tours, additional fees may apply.

Date Changes

• Any changes or cancellations made within the 7-Day Change of Mind Guarantee, where applicable, will not incur any fees unless otherwise indicated in the Fine Print. Booking changes may include, but are not limited to, name changes and name corrections.
• For date changes made after the 7-day Change of Mind Guarantee, the cost of your new tour must be of equal or greater value than your current tour.
• If the request is a change from a tour of higher value to a tour of lesser value, any difference in the tour prices will not be refunded.
• Changes are not permitted once the final payment has been collected.
• Date change conditions listed above do not apply to flights or pre- and post-tour accommodation booked with us. Flight fulfilment and changes are governed by the airline(s) selected at the time of booking. For your air travel, you are bound by the terms and conditions and fare rules of the selected airline(s). For pre- and post-tour accommodation, these reservations are not directly linked to your tour and may require a separate cost to change, as stated in your ‘My Escapes.’

Itinerary Amendments & Changes

• Occasionally our itineraries are updated prior to departure. This may be to accommodate changes in weather, public holidays, common seasonal changes to timetables and transport routes, and unforeseen circumstances.
• In the event of a change in itinerary (for safety reasons or due to events outside of our control) that results in cancellation or change fees toward flights (or other parts of your travel) we will notify you as soon as practicable.
• You will be responsible for any associated costs or will otherwise have the right to a refund (less any costs incurred or paid to third parties).
• After completing your booking, your tour cost may be subject to additional surcharges due to factors beyond the control of Luxury Escapes.
• Where the cost of delivering your selected tour materially increases between the time of purchase and delivery, we reserve the right to increase the balance due. Increases may be in relation to, but not limited to, currency fluctuations, taxes, airfares, fuel surcharges, tour costs or government changes due to health and safety restrictions. A material increase will be considered one in excess of 10% of the package price.

We reserve the right to modify prices for marketing and commercial reasons. Please note that full terms and conditions apply. Refer to website’s terms and conditions.

Accommodation for the duration of your tour is included in the Tour package.

• You can find relevant accommodation details for each day of the itinerary on the Tour offer page, or in your ‘My Escapes’.

Please note:

• Accommodation is subject to availability and may be substituted for a hotel of a similar or higher standard without notice.
• Rooms will be made available after 3pm on the day of arrival. Checkout is required by 10am. Early check-in and late checkout may be available upon request, subject to availability. Additional fees may apply.
• Maximum room capacity (Twin Room) is two adults. Maximum room capacity (Solo) is one adult.
• All special requests, such as those regarding bedding preferences, are subject to availability and can only be confirmed upon check-in. Room assignments and bedding configurations may vary based on the destination and hotel policies, and are handled directly by the hotel staff.

Pre- & Post-Tour Accommodation Pre- and post-tour accommodation can be booked to extend your stay before or after your tour by contacting our Tours Concierge Team at [email protected] .

Luxury Escapes uses a range of accommodation partners. For pre- and post-tour accommodation options where we can offer the same hotel as the start and end of your tour, your pre- and post-tour accommodation will be booked independent of your tour. If the hotel for your tour changes, this will be independent of your pre- or post-tour accommodation booking. In this instance, change fees may apply on your pre- or post-tour accommodation. If you choose to change, change fees can be found in your ‘My Escapes’.

For pre- and post-tour accommodation bookings, you may be required to check out of your room and check in again on the first or last day of your tour. You will need to confirm these details directly with the hotel.

Please contact the Tours Concierge Team at [email protected] for further information.

• Roundtrip international flights
• Single supplement
• Meals/drinks not stated in the itinerary
• Optional activities/tours, personal expenses/transfers not mentioned
• Travel insurance (required)
• Tips and gratuities
• Dining inclusions do not include drinks (unless otherwise stated). Menus are subject to change without notice.

Baggage Restrictions

• Passengers are permitted one piece of baggage with a maximum weight of 20 kg on tour.
• Passengers are permitted one additional, smaller piece of hand-luggage with a maximum weight of 7 kg on tour.
• Arrival and departure transfers are available on the first and last day of your tour only.
• If you have booked your pre- and post-tour accommodation through Luxury Escapes, transfers may be available for select tours (not available for Trusted Partner operated tours).
• If you have booked pre- or post-tour accommodation outside of Luxury Escapes, you will forfeit your complimentary airport transfers.
• Please note ‘Private Transfers’ refers to transfers that are exclusive for your tour group and may be shared among other members of your group if arriving on the same flight or another flight arriving within a 30-minute window.
• Flight information must be provided to Luxury Escapes 60 days prior to departure in order to book transfers. Please see Destination information for airport pick-up and drop-off information.

Travel Insurance

• Travel insurance is required on all our tours, which (at a minimum) covers medical expenses and repatriation. You may not be permitted to join the tour group if evidence of travel insurance is not provided prior to your trip. If you are unable to obtain travel insurance for whatever reason, you may be required to sign a waiver and/or provide a letter from a medical practitioner which confirms you are fit for travel. For any enquiries regarding travel insurance, please call 1300 88 99 00 or email  [email protected] .

Passports & Visas

• A visa may be required. It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure they hold a current visa for the countries visited on tour. If the traveller is on a non-Australian passport, a valid re-entry visa may be required.
• You are responsible for visas, entry, health and other requirements, and any documents required by laws, regulations, orders and/or requirements of countries visited. Luxury Escapes and/or its servants and agents are not responsible for passport and visa requirements or for any loss you sustain for failing to comply with laws, regulations, orders and/or requirements of countries visited.
• A valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months beyond your return travel date is required for all passengers (including children and infants).

Traveller Details

• Traveller Details must be completed for each individual traveller.
• Travellers must advise of any medical conditions or dietary requirements. Failure to provide such information in advance of your tour may result in an inability to cater to your requirements.
• We work with exceptional local tour providers to present uniquely crafted packages that encompass sightseeing tours and excursions. Our tour provider partners are dedicated to making every effort to accommodate specific requirements. However, it should be noted that the extent to which they can address mobility and accessibility needs may vary, depending on the nature of the sightseeing tour and activities involved. Please contact [email protected] so we can advise whether your specific needs can be accommodated.
• Special dietary requirements can be catered for in most cases, however, on occasion this may not be possible due to location, lack of availability of unique ingredients, and other extenuating circumstances. It is always advised to carry any necessary supplies with you.
• Passport details are required for all bookings. In some cases, a digital copy of your passport may be requested by Luxury Escapes to book certain elements of your trip.
• If a photo of your passport is requested, failure to provide valid photo ID will result in your booking being cancelled and all monies paid remaining non-refundable. When requested, a digital copy of your passport must be provided for each guest at least 90 days prior to your tour departure.
• Should you require any assistance with your Traveller Details, please contact our Tours Concierge Team at [email protected] .
• Relaxed: Leisurely pace with limited walking or physical demands. Opportunity for ample free time and leisure activities. Suitable for individuals seeking a laidback experience.
• Moderate: Usually more than one day in a location. Balanced mix of exploration and physical engagement. Suitable for participants with a reasonable level of fitness. Exploring cities on foot, visiting landmarks and guided excursions. Requires a moderate level of stamina and physical activity.
• Active: Activities most days. Generally, not staying in a location for two days or more. Suitable for participants with high fitness levels and a sense of adventure.

Travel Styles

• Fully Guided Tour: You'll have a tour director and driver with you throughout the entire trip, from start to finish.
• Partially Guided Tour: You'll have a tour driver and local guides at specific locations or portions of the trip, but not the entire time. There might be different local guides for different regions.
• Self-Guided Tour: You will not have a guide for your trip. You will be provided detailed trip notes with elements, such as accommodation and transport, pre-booked for you.

Health and Fitness Acknowledgement:

• Travellers acknowledge that they are required to have a good level of health and fitness to undertake the activities on this tour.
• There are limitations to the degree of accommodations that can be made if travellers are unable to partake in the included activities on this tour. Please consider suitability as additional costs could apply.
• Travellers also acknowledge and agree that neither we nor the tour provider will be able to provide medical or other assistance in the event that they are unable to complete any aspect of the tour as a result of their health or physical condition (nor are we liable for any loss, damage, expense, injury or death arising from such).

Your tour begins and ends at Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD), with roundtrip airport transfers.

Roundtrip flights are not included in your package and must be purchased separately. ** If your chosen tour departure date is guaranteed at the time of booking, you may be able to purchase flights immediately. If your tour departure date is not yet guaranteed (still pending minimum numbers), flights should not be booked until you receive an update on the status of your tour.**

Please book your flights to arrive at Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) by 3pm on Day 1 and depart from Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) any time on Day 10.

Roundtrip airport transfers are included in your tour on the first and last day only.

Important:  Please allow for travelling time from international countries. International flights are not included in your package and must be purchased separately. It is your responsibility to make your own travel arrangements and ensure that you arrive at your starting location on your chosen tour start date.

A visa may be required for the destination you are visiting. It is each traveller's responsibility to ensure they are holding a current visa. Please take the time to visit our preferred vendor website, Visas Direct , to assist you with any visa application requirements and processes. If you require any supporting documentation when applying for your visa, please let us know and we will be more than happy to assist. Click here  to visit the website.

Need flights?  Our dedicated flights concierge can assist with all your flight requirements (subject to availability). Contact [email protected] .

Important Destination Information:

Time zone: GMT+0 (Western European Time)

Telephone: +351

Currency: Euro

Accessing money: ATMs are widely available with credit cards widely accepted within the city. Cash is advised when visiting rural areas. Most institutions will exchange money for you.

Language: Portuguese, Mirandese.

Climate: Expect a Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers (June-September) and mild, rainy winters (December-March).

Dress code: Relaxed but respectful, especially when visiting religious institutions.

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Step Back in Time During a 9-Day Spain and Portugal Guided Tour including Ancient Sites

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.

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2024

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Executive Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Caroline has a passion for adventure travel and has hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of the Grand Canyon in pursuit of a good story. Follow her around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2024 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Adventure Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Adventure Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten-path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Adventure Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 8-16 people and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Adventure Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Aventure Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Adventure Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Adventure Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,014 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $799 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $749.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 10 million dollars to over 160 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-35 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience foodie trip of a lifetime Intrepid Travel’s South Korea Real Food Adventure , which includes time in three cities and an overnight temple stay.

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination. For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina).

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $6,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to closer destinations like Mexico or Costa Rica—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife & Nature: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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Portugal small group tours: A fabulous 5 day Itinerary

This tour is an activity level 4. Click here for terms, conditions, and cancelation policies .

Subject to change. Updated November 17, 2023.

November 13, Thursday Day 1:

Welcome to Lisbon, and the start of your Portugal small group tours. I’ll pick you up at the airport and take you to our hotel. Your room will be ready when you get there if you wanna take a nap or freshen up. The rest of the day is all yours.

Meet in the lobby of the hotel to go over to our Welcome Dinner! We’ll be enjoying a traditional Fado performance with our dinner. Fado is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list and is something not to be missed when you’re visiting Portugal. 

November 14, Friday Day 2:

After breakfast (which is included all week), I’ll be giving a walking/tram tour that will include a tour of the Castle of St. George.

Audio guides will be included where they are available. We’ll also be able to check out the Santa Justa Lift.

In the evening, we’ll be heading out on a Food and Wine Walking Tour! The best way to experience a new place is through their food!

November 15, Saturday Day 3:

Today we head out of Lisbon on a day trip to Sintra, Pena Palace and Cabo da Roca!

“Find the colorful Pena Palace hidden behind the tallest trees of Sintra! This unique masterpiece seems to make all the fairytales come true. Allow yourself to wander around the palace’s yards and gardens and take the chance to explore its lavish chambers.

Next, head over to the center of Sintra and get time to wander on your own. Take recommendations of the city’s must-see locations as well as the best restaurant options for delicious traditional Portuguese dining from your guide. Find Sintra’s local flavors where time slows, and every corner reveals a slice of the town’s magnificent gastronomy. Immerse yourself in the town’s romanticism as you explore its cobblestone and picturesque squares.

Continue to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Continental Europe and amaze yourself with the impressive views of the ocean crashing against the high rocky cliffs. Enjoy the harmony between the sound of the waves and the fresh breeze, where “earth ends, and the sea begins”. Allow yourself to be embraced by the Portuguese Riviera, while enjoying a short walking tour around the charming Cascais.”

November 16, Sunday Day 4:

After breakfast this morning, I’ll be taking you on quick tram trip to Belem! We’ll be able to see the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belem Tower and most importantly taste the famous Pasteis de Belem!

You’ll have the evening free any last-minute site seeing or shopping you have on your list as our final day will be full to the brim with a very exciting day trip!

November 17, Monday Day 5:

On our final day, we’ll be venturing further into Portugal on a day trip to Fatima, Batalha, Nazare and Obidos!

“Follow in the footsteps of Catholic pilgrims on a full-day sightseeing tour of Central Portugal from Lisbon. Transfer from the Portuguese capital, and drive through a vast variety of landscapes on your way to the towns of Fátima, Nazaré, and Óbidos.

Travel in an air-conditioned van to the extraordinary town of Fátima, where an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before 3 children every month between May 1917 and October 1917. Visit one of the major shrines of the Catholic faith, a complex that contains the tombs of 2 of the young shepherd children, the crown of the Virgin in the Chapel of the Apparitions, and a section of the Berlin Wall. Buy lunch in a local restaurant far from the tourist crowds and taste authentic Portuguese food.

Continue to the fishing port of Nazaré for panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Popular with surfers, Nazaré was where Garrett McNamara surfed a 79-foot wave. Finally, tour the picturesque town of Óbidos, taken from the Muslims in 1148. Forming part of the dowry of numerous Portuguese queens, Óbidos maintains its medieval feel inside the old city walls, with cobblestone streets and flower-bedecked houses.

After our day trip, we’ll go to our Farewell Dinner, where we can exchange stories, pictures and enjoy each other’s company for one final night.

November 18, Tuesday Day 6:

Sadly, we will all go our separate ways today but I’ll get you back to the airport so you can start your trip home.

Safe travels as you head home! Until we meet again!

Included in your Portugal Small Group Tour:

• Airport transfers to/from the hotel
• Five nights hotel
• 5 hot breakfasts at the hotel
• 1 entree, a side, and one alcoholic beverage or dessert
• Food during the walking tour will probably count as a meal.
• St. George’s Castle
• Santa Justa Lift
• Jeronimos Monastery
• Any entry tickets needed on day trips
• One Metro Card
• Sintra, Pena Palace and Cabo da Roca
• Fatima, Batalha, Nazare and Obidos
• One food and wine walking tour
• Walking tour of Lisbon with Jessy
• One guide who is a text away if you need her (that’s me!)
• Brighter Things Amenity Kit mailed to you before the trip to make your flight more comfortable

For example: flying internationally if this is your first

• A swag bag waiting for you full of fun stuff.

NOT Included in your Portugal Small Group Tour:

• Public transportation or cabs used during free time
• Any meal not listed above
• Meals and snacks during day trips
• Entry tickets to places suggested for free time

This tour is an activity level 4. Click here for terms, conditions, and cancelation policies.

Subject to change. Updated on November 17, 2023.

Portugal Small Group Tours

Uncover new and exciting adventures in Portugal by taking part in our small group tours. Go sightseeing at your own pace surrounded by travellers like you. Provided by top tour operators & travel companies, our small group tours in Portugal will offer you the perfect balance between spending time on your own and group activities. View all small group tours .

105 Portugal small group tours with 789 reviews

Explorer Family Christmas & New Year +1

Portugal: Lisbon, All-inclusive Algarve w/Douro valley cruise

"The transfers were well worth it and the WhatsApp reminders of the next day's activities or train details made for an enjoyable, hassle-free trip." Edith, traveled in April 2024

In-depth Cultural Family Explorer Christmas & New Year +2

Best of the Azores: 7 days in São Miguel

"Adored this tour. Can't wait to go back to São Miguel. Recommend to everyone looking to explore the island." Rachel, traveled in September 2023

In-depth Cultural Family Food & Culinary Explorer Christmas & New Year Wine tasting +4

Best of Lisbon Tour (with Sintra, Évora and Cascais) - 5 Days in Portugal

"Lisbon and surrounding areas stunning, would highly recommend. Hotel was superb and perfect location too." Lynda, traveled in September 2023

Highlights of Portugal W/Hanging Garden of Europe

"The price was good and the hotel & food was top class. We will not hesitate to book through you again." Gurdeep, traveled in November 2023

Hiking & Trekking Active Mountain Hikes Coastal Walks Explorer +3

Walking in Madeira

"Lots of interesting information. Beautiful hiking routes." Carola, traveled in October 2023

• 10% deposit on some dates

Lisbon, Porto And Azores

In-depth Cultural Family

Portugal By High-Speed Train

"Had a unbelievable trip and it was definitely 4 stars the whole way. Hats off to TourRador and Flag Travel Holidays for a trip of a lifetime." Nathan, traveled in October 2023

• €50 deposit on some dates

Enchanting Portugal Trio: Porto, the Azores, and Lisbon

In-depth Cultural Family Historical +1

North of Portugal

"This tour has a lot of walking. It's well educated on the history of Portugal, and I had a wonderful time." Ann, traveled in April 2022

Bicycle Christmas & New Year

Porto to Lisbon self-guided - Picturesque rides along the Atlantic coast

"Wonderful and very well organized tour" Liliana, traveled in April 2023

In-depth Cultural Explorer

Highlights of the Azores

"A very beautiful place with wonderful landscapes, thermal baths, cheese and wine." Georgina, traveled in September 2022

In-depth Cultural Family Explorer +1

Discovering The Best of Portugal

"We loved the history in Portugal and every place we visited. It was the trip of a lifetime." Kathryn, traveled in October 2021

In-depth Cultural Explorer Historical +1

Highlights of Portugal

Explorer Walking Adventure

Walking in the Azores

"Fantastic holiday, lots to see and take in. Great to see different islands as each had their own character and attributes." Steve, traveled in June 2023

Self Drive Family Local Living In-depth Cultural Christmas & New Year +3

Portugal Discovery, Self-drive

"The itinerary is arranged well and includes good recommendations for places to stop and points of interest to visit." Amanda, traveled in June 2023

Reviews of Small Group tours to Portugal

Excellent Team - Reliable and Very Helpful The team at Wanderful and also Tourradar were excellent and efficient. They were quick to answer requests and questions in a constructive manner. The transfers were well worth it and the WhatsApp reminders of the next day's activities or train details made for an enjoyable, hassle-free trip. Excellent attention to detail. The hotels in Lisbon and Porto were 4-star rated, and the SANA Malhoa in Lisbon was particularly excellent. The Grand Muthu Oura View Beach Club Hotel in Albufeira was not a 5-star hotel as it claimed, and some parts of the room needed updating. However, the view, location, staff, and cleanliness were excellent. The tours provided, and our tour guides (Marco A, Bruno A, and Inez S), were informative and friendly.

We had a fantastic time. Exploring the island through jeep tour and kayaking was exhilarating. The whale watching and local food experiences were delightful, and the guides were truly local and knowledgeable. This tour was an unforgettable journey, would take it again, thank yuou.

We started our vacation in Lisbon, with 4 days of guided tours with Pedro. He was wonderful - always on time, so courteous, and a wealth of information. It would be hard to find someone with more knowledge of the history of his country. He shared so much detail about each of the sites we visited, and was able to answer any questions. If you get a chance to book a tour with Pedro, do it. You won’t be disappointed!

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UK tourists advised to rethink traditional holiday bookings to Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Italy

The travel expert said: "There are lots of holiday providers which don't have fixed departure or arrival days, so you can have complete flexibility over your travel dates."

• 02:53, 12 JUN 2024

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UK holidaymakers planning to visit popular destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy this summer have been advised to avoid booking week-long or 14-day stays. Travel expert at Eurocamp, Karen Williams, has urged tourists to consider alternative options, stating: "There are lots of holiday providers which don't have fixed departure or arrival days, so you can have complete flexibility over your travel dates."

She further suggested: "Have a play around with the length of your trip by a few nights either way and if you're flying, choose a duration that allows you to get the best flight prices."

Ms Williams also recommended exploring different modes of transport for potential savings, saying: "Whether it is putting the family in the car and hitting the motorways for a cross-country road trip, or opting for rail travel, looking for different modes of transport can get you some serious savings."

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Sharing accommodation costs with friends or family was another tip offered by Williams, who said: "A great tip is to split the cost of your accommodation with your mates or nearest and dearest as this can save you a fortune," adding that "Holiday homes are perfect for this, allowing you to book accommodation for a fixed price, not per person,".

Williams also suggested that less traditional stay durations could result in cheaper bookings, advising holidaymakers to steer clear from fortnights, seven days or ten days. This approach, she said, could lead to significant savings on flights and hotel bills, reports Birmingham Live .

"Looking at earlier or later in the season can help to keep costs down," she said. "For those travelling with children, look for the latter weeks of the school holidays running up to September which tend to be cheaper than the main part of the school holidays."

Williams suggested: "When travelling during these months, think carefully about the destinations. If you're looking for sunshine, southern Europe is slightly hotter than more northern regions so you can enjoy the beautiful outdoors even during off-peak months."

Ms Williams said: "You don't need to go out to enjoy a good, filling meal and instead taste some local delicacies from the comfort of your own holiday home. You can even pack and bring your own food to your holiday home to ensure that the kids have all their favourite snacks."

She went on: "For the super organised, many travel providers will be bringing out their 2024 holidays over the coming months, so keeping an eye out for these can also help you save for next year too."

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