Grand Spain & Portugal - End Madrid, Classic Group
This 18-day guided tour adds a personal touch as you travel from Portugal to Spain. In Lisbon, traverse the avenues of the Lower Town and learn about the city's finest square with a knowledgeable Local Expert. At Madrid's Prado Museum, an art historian will guide you through rooms of Spain's most impressive Renaissance art. Sample Spain’s most delicious wines and learn about the Verdejo grape at an exclusive wine tasting in in Rueda. Then in Barcelona, walk through the ancient Roman Gate with a Local Expert before stopping to visit the city's most breathtaking basilica, Sagrada Família. Later, join a Gijon local for an intimate and freshly prepared lunch made from locally-sourced produce.


Dining Summary

• 5 Dinner with Wine (DW)
• 17 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch with Wine (LW)

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
• Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.
• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Santiago de Compostela: Join a city tour with a Local Expert and visit Praza do Obradoiro to admire the cathedral facade festooned with architectural frills.
• Santiago de Compostela: Embark on a scenic walk on part of the Way of St. James with a Local Expert, through parks and gardens that transform with the seasons.

Authentic Dining

• Madrid: Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travellers over a beautiful evening of delicious food and wine.
• Lisbon: Delight in a taste of the famous Portuguese delicacy, Pastéis de Belém.
• Madrid: Honest culinary traditions and a fiesta of fresh ingredients are the hallmarks of your Spanish Highlight Dinner. The perfect accompaniment to good conversation and a chilled glass of beer or wine.
• Rueda: Some of Spain's finest wines hail from the Rueda region. During your tasting, learn about the Verdejo grape and what to look for in a fresh white.
• Gijon: Meet Flor, a local of Gijón, for a delicious meal of locally sourced produce that she has prepared just for you.
• Barcelona: At a typical Catalan restaurant, savour a delicious Celebration Dinner that incorporates classic cooking with the freshest produce.

Insight Experiences

• Toledo: At a Damascene workshop, meet a master artisan for a personal insight into this ancient craft. Witness firsthand their precision as they inlay gold and silver into iron, using a chisel and a hammer.
• Granada: Visit the famous Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. While others wait in line, you'll be exploring accompanied by a Local Expert, keen to share insights into this Moorish landmark.
• Madrid: Witness the world's finest collection of Spanish paintings, plus an impressive international collection, as you tour the Prado Museum with an art historian.

Make Travel Matter

• Seville: The Cristina Heeren Foundation aims to promote the teaching and conservation of flamenco and is a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Meet the students of the foundation, learn some basic flamenco steps, and then feel the passion as they perform an emotional show. The school enables students access to cultural education that otherwise may not have occurred. TreadRights sponsorship has helped students to complete their studies in advanced guitar, singing and dance. As students complete their training, they will carry on and safeguard the traditional flamenco dance, contributing to the protection of Andalusia and Spain’s cultural heritage. The Cristina Heeren Foundation advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
• San Sebastián: Uncover the important maritime cultural heritage of the Basque country on a neighbourhood walking tour in the old harbour area.

Top Rated Highlights

• Toledo: Explore this magnificent ancient city with your Local Expert and visit the Church of Santo Tomé to see an El Greco masterpiece.
• Seville: Visit the Seville Cathedral with your Local Expert. Pass the altarpiece dripping with gold and see the Tomb of Columbus, held aloft by four kings.
• Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
• Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.
• Évora: With your Travel Director explore the ancient city of Évora and visit the fascinating Capela dos Ossos, meaning the Chapel of Bones, a chapel decorated with human remains.
• Lisbon: Explore with your Local Expert, from the Lower Town, beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco. Visit the Belém Quarter to see the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the medieval Belém Tower.
• Lisbon: Visit Jerónimos Monastery with its beautiful Manueline architecture, reflecting Portugal's trade over the centuries and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Fátima: Join the faithful at one of the world's holiest sites and pay homage at the Chapel of the Apparitions or see the basilica.
• Salamanca: See the golden stone buildings and handsome arcades of Plaza Mayor for which this city is famous for.
• Avila: Walk within the ancient walls of this unique town.
• Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Expert. Visit the Old Town, travelling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles, the Cervantes Monument and Royal Palace, before crossing the Puerta del Sol.
• Santiago de Compostela: Joi...