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Insight - Amazing Spain & Portugal - Classic Group, Summer (04/2023 - 10/2023) (E300ZN18)

9 Days From Madrid to Madrid 
Tour Style: Regional Insight
Insight Brochure Price from $1,912.00
Brochures: Europe & Britain Premium 2023 v2, Europe & Britain Premium 2024 v1
Visits: Spain, Portugal

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.
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.

Well-being
  • : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
  • : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
  • : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
  • : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Travel Director
  • : "There is nothing quite like sampling the many varieties of tapas. Every region has its own delicacies so you can be assured that you will taste different ones everywhere you go."
  • : "Guests are surprised to find that Spanish is not the only language spoken in the country – there’s also Basque, Galician and Catalan, not to mention the little dialects in each province."
  • : "No visit to Portugal is complete without a thorough exploration of its gastronomy. Our guests are delighted by the high-quality food and generous service for which the Portuguese are known."

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: With good food and wine, toast the culmination of your travels during a fabulous Celebration Dinner.
  • Dining Summary: 3 Dinner with Wine (DW), and 8 Breakfast (B)

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.

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.
  • Granada: Explore 'The City of the Pomegranate' with a Local Expert. During sightseeing you'll see the icons dedicated to this fruit throughout the city.
  • 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.

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.

Insight Tour Itinerary

Day 1Welcome to Madrid
Your airport transfer departs Madrid airport for your hotel at 09:00, 11:30, 13:30 or 16:00. The rest of the day is at leisure to begin to get to know this stylish city. While in Madrid, explore the elegant boulevards, expansive parks and varied architectural styles. At 18:30, join your Travel Director for your Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers over a delightful evening of good food and wine.
Visits: Madrid
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Accommodation: Hotel Riu Plaza España, Madrid.
Day 2The old capital of Toledo and on to Granada
Venture south to meet a master artisan in a Damascene workshop for a personal insight into this ancient craft, handed down by the Moors centuries ago. Continue to the fascinating city of Toledo, situated high above the River Tagus. This was Spain's capital during the golden era, where Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures flourished side-by-side through the Middle Ages. Walk within the city walls, through the narrow cobbled streets, led by your Local Expert. Visit the Church of Santo Tomé, housing El Greco's famous painting, ‘The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.' Your journey continues to Granada.
Visits: Madrid, Toledo, Granada
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Accommodation: Vincci Albayzín, Granada.
Day 3The Alhambra Palace and Seville, City of Carmen
'Give him alms, woman, because there is nothing sadder in life than being blind in Granada', proclaims the inscription on the walls of the Alhambra. Bathed in the morning light, the Alhambra Palace awaits—a fantasy of arabesque gardens, fountains and stone cut like lace. Explore with your Local Expert before visiting the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the summer residence of the Spanish royals. Take a moment to relax in the sunshine as you enjoy the fine views over the town and its three verdant hills before continuing on to Seville. Visit the Seville Cathedral, the burial place of Christopher Columbus. Explore the city with Insight Choice. Choose to embark on a walk through the old Jewish quarter. Alternatively, enjoy a drive with panoramic views.
Visits: Granada, Seville
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Catalonia Giralda Hotel, Seville.
Day 4Free Time and Flamenco in Seville Relaxed Start
This day is yours to completely relax or continue exploring this fascinating city. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to Córdoba and visit the magnificent Mezquita, an 8th century mosque with a Christian cathedral built inside it? Visit the Cristina Heeren Foundation, a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant, for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. This private dance school is dedicated to promoting the conservation of flamenco and supports young enthusiasts from all over the world with a special focus on new talent from the Andalusian region. Feel the passion behind the choreography as you put your rhythm to the test during a dance lesson before witnessing emotions come to life in a flamenco performance.
Visits: Seville
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Ayre Hotel Sevilla, Seville.
Day 5Évora and onto Lisbon Relaxed Start
Continue to the lively university town of Évora, one of the best preserved towns in Portugal, with architectural styles dating back to Roman Times. Visit the fascinating Capela dos Ossos, a chapel decorated with 5000 bones, before making your way to Lisbon.
Visits: Seville, Évora, Lisbon
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Turim Saldanha Hotel, Lisbon.
Day 6Lisbon and the Age of the Discoveries Relaxed Start
During your stay, a guided orientation of the city with your Local Expert takes you along the avenues of the Lower Town and beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco, the finest square in the city. Visit the Belém Quarter and enjoy a taste of Pastéis de Belém from the patisserie that has been using the same, secret recipe for almost 200 years. View the Monument to the Discoveries and the historic Belém Tower. This fortress was originally set in the middle of the river, but is now left high and dry on the riverbank. Visit the 500-year-old Jerónimos Church with its beautiful Manueline architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps join an Optional Experience to the beautiful Portuguese Riviera?
Visits: Lisbon
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Turim Saldanha Hotel, Lisbon.
Day 7Holy Fátima and Salamanca Relaxed Start
Travel into the green hills north of Lisbon to visit Fátima, the most celebrated place of pilgrimage in Portugal. Visit the chapel commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in 1917. Cross the border, returning to Spain and continue to Salamanca, famous for its golden stone buildings and the handsome arcades of the Plaza Mayor. Across the River Tormes, see the Puente Romano with 15 of its 26 arches dating from the time of the ancient Romans.
Visits: Lisbon, Fátima, Salamanca
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Alameda Palace, Salamanca.
Day 8Ávila and Madrid
Cross the rock-strewn hills of the Castile, to arrive at Ávila. Admire the impressive city still entirely enclosed within its 11th-century walls, a unique occurrence in Europe. Return to Madrid to explore more of the capital with your Local Expert. At a local restaurant, join your Travel Director and newfound friends for a lively Celebration Dinner.
Visits: Salamanca, Avila, Madrid
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 9Farewell Madrid
After breakfast, transfers arrive at Madrid airport at 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00.
Visits: Madrid
Meals: Breakfast


Available Room Types: Single, Triple, Twin, Twinshare
Child: ages 5 to 17

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