Amazing Spain & Portugal

9 Days Madrid Return
Amazing Spain & Portugal
Amazing Spain & Portugal
Amazing Spain & Portugal

Overview

Read 4 reviews and enjoy exclusive savings on Insight Vacations 9 Day Amazing 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 read more 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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US$2,408 per person
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Trip Length
Trip Length

9 Days

Trip Starts
Trip Starts

Madrid

Trip Ends
Trip Ends

Madrid

Countries Visited
Countries Visited:
Trip Reviews
4 Trip Reviews
Avg. Rating: 4/5
Trip Style
Trip Style

Regional Journey

Accommodation
Accommodation

4 - 4.5 Star

Budget
Budget

Premium

Age Range
Age Range

5-99 Years

Max. Group Size
Max. Group Size

40

Guide Style
Guide Style

Fully Guided

Tour Code
Tour Code

E300

Itinerary

While in Madrid, explore the elegant boulevards, expansive parks and varied architectural styles. Join your Travel Director for 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. (D) Stay: The Westin Madrid Cuzco

Visit 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. From here you will venture south to meet a local artisan in a Damascene workshop for a personal insight into this ancient craft, handed down by the Moors centuries ago.

Then enjoy a walk within the city walls of Toledo, 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. (B/D) Stay: Vincci Albayzín, Granada

"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 this architectural masterpiece in the company of your Local Expert before visiting the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the serene summer retreat of the Nasrid rulers. Take a moment to unwind in the sunshine and admire the views over the town and its three verdant hills.

Later, journey on to Seville, Andalucía's spirited capital, where orange-scented courtyards and sun-dappled plazas set the scene for the days ahead. (B) Stay: Meliá Sevilla

Enjoy a relaxed start or choose to join one of two Optional Experiences: admire the architectural elegance of Pilatos Palace, or explore the Alcázar of Seville and nearby Plaza América, home to graceful pavilions from the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition.  Continue exploring with Insight Choice. Choose to stroll through the atmospheric Santa Cruz Quarter with a Local Expert, or sit back and enjoy a scenic drive taking in the city's iconic landmarks.

Later, visit the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the final resting place of Christopher Columbus.

In the evening, take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Cristina Heeren Foundation. Try your hand at flamenco during a lively dance lesson, then witness this expressive art form brought vividly to life in a passionate performance. (B)

Continue to the lively university town of Évora, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Portugal, with architectural styles dating back to Roman Times. Visit the fascinating Capela dos Ossos, a chapel decorated with 5,000 bones, before making your way to Lisbon. (B) Stay: Dom Pedro Lisboa, Lisbon, The Emerald House Curio by Hilton, Lisbon

During your stay, a guided sightseeing tour of the city with your Local Expert takes you to 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 National Coach Museum. With the afternoon at your leisure, consider joining an Optional Experience to the beautiful Portuguese Riviera. (B)

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. (B) Stay: Alameda Palace, Salamanca

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 dinner. (B/D) Stay: Meliá Princesa, Madrid

Today, your remarkable journey comes to an end as you transfer to the Madrid-Barajas Airport. Take a moment to reflect on the unforgettable experiences, meaningful connections and enriching encounters that have shaped your travels. (B)

Trip Inclusions

  • 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 Seville Cathedral, completed in the 16th century and recognised as the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Walk through its vast nave and chapels and view the Giralda, originally built as the minaret of the 12th-century Almohad mosque. The cathedral's scale and layered construction show how the site developed from Islamic to Christian use.
  • 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 Lisbon with a Local Expert, focusing on the Baixa district rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake and the broad Pombaline layout that shaped the Lower Town. Continue through the Belém Quarter to view landmarks linked to Portugal's maritime era, including the Monument to the Discoveries and the Belém Tower, both positioned along the Tagus.
  • Lisbon: Visit the National Coach Museum to examine its collection of royal carriages dating from the 16th to 19th centuries. Used for state ceremonies and diplomatic events, you'll view coaches that illustrate the shifts in artisanship, decoration and court protocol across several European courts.
  • Fátima: You'll visit the Sanctuary of Fátima, centred on the reported apparitions of 1917. The site brings together major places of worship such as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Chapel of the Apparitions, set around a vast open square used for major pilgrimages.
  • Salamanca: See the golden stone and arcades of Plaza Mayor, and learn about the unique traditions of this historic university city.
  • Avila: Explore within the ancient walls of this unique town.
  • Madrid: Explore Madrid's Old Quarter with a Local Expert who outlines how the district developed from a small medieval citadel into the centre of Habsburg Madrid. You'll see the compact street grid, market squares and civic buildings that shaped the early city, and trace how each layer of expansion created the foundations of the modern capital.
  • Toledo: At a Damascene workshop, meet a master artisan for an 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 Alhambra Palace with a Local Expert and walk through its courtyards, carved plasterwork and palace rooms from the Nasrid period. You'll see how water channels, gardens and intricate detail define the complex, and how this hilltop site shaped Granada's cultural and political story for centuries.

Choose between two carefully selected activities

  • Seville: Join a guided walk through the Santa Cruz quarter, following a street pattern shaped by Seville's medieval Jewish community until the 14th century. You'll navigate narrow lanes, enclosed courtyards and small plazas reflect the district's earlier layout, with surviving architectural elements that point to the neighbourhood's social and cultural history within the wider city.
  • Seville: Take a panoramic drive around Seville to observe the city's main districts and landmarks, including the riverfront near Torre del Oro, the avenues created for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition and the open spaces around María Luisa Park.

  • Seville: The Cristina Heeren Foundation promotes the teaching and preservation of flamenco and is supported by a TreadRight Foundation grant. Meet students, learn a few basic steps and watch them perform, gaining insight into how the school trains young artists in guitar, singing and dance. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.

  • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
  • Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
  • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
  • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
  • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
  • If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

  • 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: In Belém, try pastéis de Belém: crisp layers of pastry encasing custard complete with a dusting of cinnamon. See how the pastries follow a closely guarded recipe, and are still prepared in the same bakery that has produced them since 1837.
  • Madrid: In Madrid, you'll sit down to a final dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a local restaurant.
  • Dining Summary: 3 Dinners (D), 8 Breakfasts (B)

  • 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.
  • Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

  • Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
  • Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included

Operator

Insight Vacations
At Insight Vacations we have been creating magical travel experiences for over 40 years, showcasing the most outstanding destinations and curated experiences in Europe and North America.

Why are we different to any other operator? It’s our unique Insight experiences. It’s our authentic and varied dining options, it’s t moreravelling in smaller groups on customised coaches with twice the legroom, it’s staying in the right hotels in the right location, all brought together seamlessly by our exceptional travel directors. In essence: All the sights, and the insights….up close and personal…in comfort and style.

Travel is such a joy and a personal passion for myself and every member of our team. We’re so proud of the quality, service and value we provide and invite you to try it for yourself. Talk to Global Journeys to find out more about travelling in style and booking your next holiday with Insight Vacations.

Trip Reviews (4)

Insight Vacations Reviews
Reviews 4 Reviews
Average Rating 4 out of 5
5 Star
25%
4 Star
50%
3 Star
25%
2 Star
1 Star
Very good tour. 3 , NSW, Australia, Jun 2017
Lots of inclusions. Hotels are all good especially the one in Madrid. In Lisbon, the hotel is quite new but not in the city centre so this is the only downside. Tour director was very informative. Over-all we recommend this tour for those wanting to see Spain and Lisbon.
Awesome stress-free holiday! 2 , QLD, Australia, Sep 2015
It was a last minute decision to visit Spain and it was so easy to compare different tours on the Global Journeys site. Hannah took care of everything and despite our late booking, our documents arrived in good time before our departure. Insight vacations did a great job. Our tour leader was very helpful and knowledgeable and local experts were passionate read more about their city and country. We travelled in September and had great weather and Jorge gave us lots of little treats - or 'flourishes' as he called them - such as custard tarts, pious cake, a visit to somewhere special not on the itinerary etc. we did all the optional tours except the Palace in Madrid and in doing so just about every meal was included. Would highly recommend!
Tour was very good, best part was Portugal 2 , Australia, Apr 2013
Apart from some bad weather the tour was very good. Best part was Portugal. Tour should be extended 2 days to enjoy Salamanca for 2 nights. Accommodation was superb throughout. Our guide was good but at times could have provided more information. Lots of silent periods in the coach when we compared with a subsequent Trafalgar Tour. Arrived late at some read more destinations - suspect lunch breaks could have been shorter to prevent that - say 40 minutes not 1 hour.
A well scheduled trip 4 , Australia, May 2011
The trip was wonderful. It is a well scheduled trip, but some of the 'optional extras' (175 Euros/person) should really have been included as part of the tour, even if that increased the cost. The hotels were good, except for the Marriott in Lisbon. This was very inconveniently located (and in need of some refreshing). Our guide, John Chappell was informative read more while the driver of the bus really deserves special commendation in the way he assisted passengers on and off the bus. Thanks for your efficient help with the reservations.
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Saturday 04 Apr 2026 04 Apr 26 Madrid
Sunday 12 Apr 2026 12 Apr 26 Madrid
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Saturday 11 Apr 2026 11 Apr 26 Madrid
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A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Note
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Insight Vacations. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.

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