Tour Overview
Description
9 Days/ 8 Nights. This Iberian Tapestry tour begins in Barcelona ends in Lisbon. A wonderful vacation for those who wish to visit the highlight cities of Spain and Portugal. Stay two nights in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Lisbon, and enjoy guided sightseeing featuring highlight visits like the gothic quarter in Barcelona, the palatial Prado Museum in Madrid, the Alcazar and the Santa Cruz quarter in Seville, and the Alfama and Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Special highlights are dinner at the El Palacio Andaluz restaurant to try out local specialties in Seville, a wine tasting in Setúbal, and a pastel (a traditional Portuguese pastry) and a drink at Pasteis de Belém in Lisbon. Welcome and farewell dinners with wine have been included.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive In Barcelona, Spain
Welcome to Barcelona! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.
Dinner is included.
Day 2 - Barcelona
Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Columbus Monument, Plaza de Cataluna, and Paseo de Gracia. Admire the spectacular Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s masterpiece, and enjoy a panoramic view of the city and harbor from Montjuïc Hill. Also visit the GOTHIC QUARTER. This afternoon, an optional excursion to Montserrat can be arranged.
Breakfast is included.
Day 3 - Barcelona–Madrid
Enjoy rustic Catalonian and Aragonian landscapes on your journey to Madrid, the capital of Spain since 1561.
Breakfast is included.
Day 4 - Madrid
Madrid today is a strikingly modern city, the showcase of a country resolutely turned towards the future. Your Local Guide takes you to the Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, elegant Calle Alcala, and Paseo de Castellana. Then, enjoy a highlight visit to the palatial PRADO MUSEUM with its priceless art treasures. To make the most of your stay, exciting optional excursions are available.
Breakfast is included.
Day 5 - Madrid–Cordoba–Seville
Drive south through the arid landscapes of Don Quixote’s La Mancha to Cordoba, where sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the medieval Jewish quarter, a visit to the magnificent 8th-century MOSQUE OF THE CALIPHS, famous for its 850 pillars of porphyry, marble, and jasper, the Roman Bridge and the remains of the Alcazar. Then, continue to Seville, the vibrant, festive capital of Andalusia.
Breakfast is included.
Day 6 - Seville
During your guided sightseeing tour, you will hear about the city’s role in Roman times, its conquest by the Moors in 712 AD, and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. Admire Maria Luisa Park, the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the university that used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Also visit the magnificent CASA DE PILATOS, a mixture of Moorish and Roman architecture with a splendid collection of Roman sculptures. Then, stroll through the narrow lanes of the charming SANTA CRUZ QUARTER. For those interested, an optional extended guided visit to the cathedral is available. This evening, a special dinner to try out local specialties has been prepared for you at El Palacio Andaluz restaurant with Flamenco entertainment.
Breakfast and Dinner are included.
Day 7 - Seville–Setubal-Azeitao, Portugal–Lisbon
A scenic drive today takes you to Portugal. Stop in Azeitão and enjoy a WINE TASTING before arriving in Lisbon, proud capital of Portugal.
Breakfast is included.
Day 8 - Lisbon
Lisbon was the center of Europe’s longest-lived overseas empire. Portugal’s imperial ambitions date back to Prince Henry the Navigator’s 15th-century discoveries in West Africa. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide features a drive through the Baixa quarter’s main squares. Then, enjoy a walk through the cobblestone alleys of quaint ALFAMA, the popular quarter of the seamen and Fado singers. Drive along the grand Avenida da Liberdade up to Pombal Square, and stop for pictures of Belem Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries. Also visit the CHURCH with the tomb of Vasco da Gama. Tonight, a special farewell dinner has been prepared for you at a local restaurant.
Breakfast and Dinner are included.
Day 9 - Lisbon
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Breakfast is included.