Exploring Iberia: Southern Spain to Coastal Portugal

Enjoy a true taste of the Iberian Peninsula. Your tour begins with an overnight flight.
Hotel Name: NH Hotel

Welcome to Malaga, a city known for its Andalusian lifestyle and the birthplace of artist Pablo Picasso. As travelers’ arrival times will vary, we have not included any sightseeing today. Spend the day as you wish, exploring the city independently. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome reception.

Visit Area: Malaga
The birthplace of Picasso, Malaga is a vibrant port city radiating with energy, passion, and culture. The city has gone through somewhat of a transformation, and now this little metropolis is thriving with new art galleries, Michelin-star restaurants, and high-fashion boutiques. When you explore the compact streets, you’ll see how architecture blends old and new as you venture from the Pompidou Centre to a Moorish fortress.

Discover the port city of Malaga with a local guide. Walk through the colorful market stalls and learn about the history and culture of this seaside community. Meet a local from the Sepulcro Brotherhood to learn about the importance of the religious brotherhoods to the local culture. Then, stop at a local bodega bar to sample some tapas. Next, it’s your choice! Audio guide in hand, venture into the Malaga Cathedral, a stunning example of Renaissance architecture -OR- visit the Picasso Museum with a local expert and see paintings by this iconic artist who called Malaga his first home.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: White Villages of Andalusia

Today, travel to Granada, the last capital of the Moors in Spain before it fell to the Catholic monarchs in 1492. Spend the morning with a local expert visiting the Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s known as one of the Wonders of the Muslim World. After your extensive morning walk at this centuries-old palace and fortress complex, enjoy some free time in Granada for lunch on your own. Later, return to your hotel to spend the evening as you please.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: The Alhambra
The Alhambra is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. The first palace on the site was built in the 11th century and in the 12th and 13th century a fortress-complex palace was built. It is a vast complex, comprised of many structures. The Alhambra is part fortress, part palace, part garden and part government city. Many visitors come to Grenada specifically just to visit and see the Alhambra.

Journey to the picturesque white villages of Andalusia. Visit Nerja, renowned for its breathtaking caves that house one of the largest stalactites on Earth. Continue your adventure to Frigiliana, considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in the region, which will make you feel as though you have stepped back in time. Take in its whitewashed houses and historical sites while walking through the narrow cobblestone streets. Return to Malaga where you can choose to join your Tour Manager on a sunset stroll with a sweet surprise — the perfect way to say goodbye to Malaga.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: H10 Palacio Colomera

Visit Area: Ronda
Ronda is considered to be one of the oldest kept cities in Spain dating back to the Neolithic period. Two pieces of architecture represent the history of Ronda perfectly; the New Bridge and the bullring of the Royal Cavalry Order of Ronda. The New Bridge built in the mid 1700s allowed for the development of the city as it linked the old city with the new neighborhoods, providing the capability for Ronda to sustain itself and grow, as its location a little less than 2,500 feet above sea level made this a little more difficult in previous times. The Plaza de Toros, bullfighting ring, was inaugurated in 1785 and is considered to be one of the oldest throughout Spain. Some of the greatest matadors (bullfighters) of Spain were a product of the school of bullfighting, including Pedro Romero and Antonio Ordóñez.

Today's final destination: Córdoba. But first, let's stop in Ronda, a historic town perched upon a cliff in Andalusia. Explore the Old Town, full of twisting narrow streets, the 18th-century Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) over the El Tajo gorge, and La Alameda Park with its panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. During your walking tour, get the local perspective on the often-debated topic of bullfighting in this city rich with the history surrounding these contests. Complete your tour of Ronda and be welcomed into a local’s home for a home-hosted lunch. Arrive in Cordoba and conclude your day with a leisurely stroll through its enchanting streets.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Córdoba
Córdoba is located in Andalucía, southern Spain, and is the capital of the province of Córdoba. This city has an interesting history full of many diverse cultures and was the capital of a Roman province, the capital of an Arab State and a form of an Islamic government. It has the second largest old town in Europe, featuring Roman architecture, including a Roman bridge, as well as several Islamic and Jewish mosques.

Begin your day immersing yourself in the culture of Cordoba when you admire the rows of patios* filled with colorful flowers and plants. The tradition of decorating patios dates to the time when Cordoba was under Muslim rule. Houses were built with inner courtyards to provide a cool, private space for families. Later, tour the magnificent Mezquita (UNESCO). Originally built as a mosque, it was converted into the city’s cathedral when the Christians conquered the region in 1236. End your afternoon with a visit to a family-run bull ranch to see life on the farm and learn about the care of these animals.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: H10 Casa de la Plata

Admittance: The Mosque - Cathedral

Your taste of the local culture continues today. Head to an award-winning olive grove and learn about this family-owned business. Try their unique olive oil during a delightful light tapas lunch before arriving in Seville, Spain’s “cultural capital.” Once you arrive, get acquainted with Seville on a panoramic city tour featuring the famous Bull Ring, Torre de Oro, Plaza de Espana, and Maria Luisa Park. This evening, take in sweeping views of Seville from atop the Mirador Setas viewpoint. After you’ve worked up your appetite, you’ll sit down to dinner at a trendy local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Home Hosted Lunch

In Seville, begin your day with the guidance of a local expert as you walk from your hotel and explore the historic center until you reach the magnificent Seville Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. View the ornate architecture of the cathedral and see Christopher Columbus’ tomb. Then, it’s your choice! Continue with your guide on a walking tour of the quaint Santa Cruz Quarter with its cascading bright flowers, whitewashed buildings, and winding streets -OR- learn the secret of ceramics in a dynamic hands-on workshop. Later this afternoon, during an Impact Moment, participate in a flamenco lesson at Fundacion Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the art of flamenco in Spain and internationally. After your lesson, enjoy a traditional flamenco performance.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Turim Lisboa Hotel

Admittance: Seville Cathedral

Say adios to Spain and travel through the Portuguese countryside to Estremoz - a historic town whose marble can be found in Portuguese monuments throughout the country. After savoring a delightful lunch brimming with local flavors, set off toward Lisbon, nestled along the serene banks of the Tagus River. This charming, coastal city will be your welcoming home in Portugal. Enjoy an evening at leisure to do as you please.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Alentejo
Travel across the famous Alentejo region of southern Portugal, known for three things; pottery, wine, and cork. Sparsely populated, the Alentejo region is rolling green hills, orchards of sobreiro trees, and vineyards.

Olá Lisboa! It’s time to get to know Europe’s second oldest capital city. Start in Belem, home to many of Lisbon’s most iconic sites, like the Maritime Museum that showcases Portugal's pioneering role in ocean exploration, the facade of the impressive Jeronimos Monastery (UNESCO), and birthplace of the most famous Portuguese sweet - the Pastel de Belem. Embark on a unique panoramic city tour when you hop on one of Lisbon’s iconic trams taking you through the postcard-worthy streets of the hilly city. Return to your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring independently. This evening, you may choose to join an optional experience to see local artists perform traditional fado music (UNESCO).

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Lisbon
Spread across steep hillsides that overlook the Rio Tejo, Lisbon offers all the delights you’d expect of Portugal’s star attraction, yet with half the fuss of other European capitals. Gothic cathedrals, majestic monasteries and quaint museums are all part of the colorful cityscape, but the real delights of discovery lie in wandering the narrow lanes of Lisbon’s lovely backstreets. The Lisbon experience encompasses so many things, from enjoying a fresh pastry and bica (espresso) on a petite leafy plaza to window-shopping in elegant Chiado. It’s mingling with Lisboêtas at a neighborhood festival or watching the sunset from the old Moorish castle.

Head to the town of Sintra (UNESCO), a favorite summer residence of Portuguese kings for six centuries. High above, nestled in the crown of the Sintra hills, lies the enchanting Pena Palace, surrounded by a magnificent park. Spend some time exploring this storybook town before heading to the stunning coastal views of Guincho Beach. Then, make a stop in Cascais, the picturesque gem of the Portuguese Riviera, before returning to Lisbon. Tonight, toast to a wonderful trip with your fellow travelers during a farewell dinner featuring savory Portuguese favorites.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Tram Tour

This cultural deep dive into Spain and Portugal comes to a close today.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Sintra
With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairy tale. Its Unesco World Heritage–listed centre, Sintra-Vila, is dotted with pastel-hued manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the blue Atlantic. The jewel on the crown lording ominously over the picturesque town center is the National Palace, once the summer retreat of the Portuguese monarchy.