Overview
Regional Journey
4 - 4.5 Star
Premium
5-99 Years
24
Fully Guided
SE942
Itinerary
On arrival at Lisbon International Airport, there are complimentary transfers to your hotel. Settle in and relax before joining your Travel Director for dinner at a local restaurant. Enjoy the opportunity to mingle with your fellow travellers during a pleasant evening of good food and wine. (D) Stay: Corinthia, Lisbon, Hyatt Regency, Lisbon
Your guided sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you to see the Belém Quarter from where sailing ships once set forth to discover unknown lands. Enjoy a taste of Pastéis de Belém from the patisserie that has been using the same secret recipe for almost 20 years. Visit the National Coach Museum, which features one of the most prominent horse-drawn carriage collection in the world. The afternoon and evening are free to explore further as you wish. Perhaps decide to visit the Portuguese Riviera, or enjoy an evening of emotive 'Fado' music? ' (B)
Depart Portugal this morning and journey into the sun-drenched Algarve, pausing in the picturesque town of Tavira for a leisurely lunch. Set beside the Gilão River and known for its Moorish-influenced architecture, Tavira offers a tranquil glimpse into southern Portugal's coastal charm. From here, cross the border into Spain and continue through the changing landscapes of Andalucía, arriving in Seville by late afternoon.
The evening is yours to relax, or you may wish to join an Optional Experience: Andalusian Evening & the Atmosphere of Old Seville, where traditional cuisine and music capture the spirit of this vibrant city. (B) Stay: Catalonia Giralda, Seville
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)
Set sail across the Strait of Gibraltar to reach Morocco, a historic land of deep-rooted tradition and compelling cultural character. (B/D) Stay: Heritage Boutique, Fes
Today, your Local Expert will guide you through the ancient Medina, teeming with hidden courtyards, beautiful mosques and local workshops. Sensorial delights await around every corner as you take in the historic grandeur of this walled city. Walk through the souks and pass one of the world's oldest universities. Learn about the ancient craft of handwoven carpets, a tradition developed in this region over thousands of years. Gain insight into the exceptional skill and artistic symbolism applied to make each carpet unique. (B/D)
During today's journey, see traditional mud-walled villages set against the vast arid plains. Glimpse the Atlas Mountains as you approach Marrakesh, a bustling hub of culture and trade. (B) Stay: Grand Mogador Menara, Marrakesh, Mövenpick Mansour Eddahbi, Marrakesh
Join a Local Expert to explore the Medina, the historic heart of the city. See the Koutoubia Mosque, its minaret dominating the Marrakesh skyline with golden brickwork. Visit the intricately decorated Palais Bahia, a 19th-century mosaic-laden masterpiece built to be the greatest palace of its day. Experience the city's captivating charm during time at leisure. Perhaps try your hand at haggling in the souks on Jemaa-el-Fnaa Square or visit one of the acclaimed museums. (B)
Journey to the west coast of Africa to reach Casablanca. Did Humphrey Bogart really did say ''Play it again, Sam''? Your Moroccan National Guide will reveal the truth to this and other fascinating elements of this storied city. See the impressive Hassan II Mosque, the largest in the country. For those who came to Casablanca for the waters, the Corniche, a chic seaside strip, welcomes you with its trendy restaurants and cafes. (B/D) Stay: DoubleTree by Hilton Casablanca City Centre, Casablanca
Travel north to Rabat to see the intricately-decorated Royal Palace and Hassan Tower with your Moroccan National Guide. Your journey continues to Morocco's port of Tangier, overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean. You'll see the sights of the city upon arrival, then enjoy dinner and an evening at leisure to relax in the comfortable surroundings of your hotel. As the sun sets, take a stroll along Avenue d'Espagne on the Bay of Tangier. (B/D) Stay: Grand Villa de France, Tangier
Cross the water to Spain and continue on to Gibraltar, an overseas territory under British control since 1704. Meet your Local Expert for a guided tour of the Rock of Gibraltar, St. Michael's Cave and see the Barbary Apes, legendary guardians of the colony. Your travels continue through Andalucía and on to the Costa del Sol, famous for its beaches. (B) Stay: Meliá Costa del Sol, Torremolinos
Enjoy the day at leisure on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol. Relax by the blue Mediterranean waters, stroll along the promenade, savour the specialities in the local restaurants, or consider exploring Málaga, the birth city of Picasso. (B)
Continue to Alfarnatejo, a quiet white washed village with a population of just 500 people, surrounded by stunning mountainous landscape. Travel to the oldest olive grove in the region and stop at the rural mill-factory of Alfarnatejo to taste a selection of different oils with locally made farmer bread. In small groups, you are invited into the home of a local family to join them for a delicious lunch made with fresh, local produce that showcases the flavours typical of the region.
Continue to Granada, where overlooking the town stands one of the most remarkable fortresses ever built, the Alhambra. Led by your Local Expert, explore this exquisite palace built as a citadel by the Moors in the 13th century - a fantasy of arabesque gardens, fountains and stone cut like lace. Stroll through the elegant, exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the summer residence of the Spanish royals. (B/L) Stay: Gran Luna de Granada
Your journey continues to the north, through countryside immortalised by Cervantes' fictional hero, Don Quixote. (B) Stay: Radisson RED Madrid, Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana
Enjoy sightseeing with your Local Expert, as they guide you through the most historic neighbourhoods in the Spanish capital. Your drive continues through the Old Quarter to discover the origins of the city. Visit the renowned Prado Museum with an art historian who will guide you through the collective works of Velázquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens and more. The afternoon is at your leisure to relax at a cafe, shop in the trendy boutiques or perhaps travel to beautiful Toledo with an Optional Experience.
In the evening, join your Travel Director and newfound friends at a local restaurant in the heart of the city. Toast your adventures as you enjoy a delicious dinner of regional favourites, served with wine. (B/D)
Today, bid a fond farewell to your memorable journey through Spain, Morocco & Portugal as you transfer to the airport and reflect on the experiences and adventures you've had. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Tarifa: Travel from Tarifa to Tangier on a ferry across the iconic Strait of Gibraltar.
- Fes: Led by your Local Expert, wander the maze of streets that make up the ancient Medina. See one of the world's oldest universities and pass hidden courtyards, mosques and workshops. Continue through the souks, an array of vendors selling food, clothes, leather goods and beautiful lights.
- Fes: Learn about the traditional craft of carpet making, gaining an insight to the designs the and the difference in materials.
- Marrakesh: Your Local Expert guides you past Jemaa el-Fnaa Square with its intriguing characters and through the seemingly entangled streets of the Medina with its many souks. See the protruding Koutoubia Minaret.
- Marrakesh: Built around a lovely inner-garden, explore the Bahia Palace with a Local Expert and see glimpses of a Moroccan kingdom's former opulence.
- Casablanca: Explore this coastal city, made famous the classic film. Your Local Expert will show you the largest mosque in the country, Hassan II Mosque and the Corniche, lined with trendy restaurants and cafes.
- Rabat: See the Royal Palace and Hassan Tower.
- Tangier: Your Local Expert will show you the sights of Morocco's great port. See the Sultan's Palace and visit the Casbah.
- Tangier: Travel back to Europe on your return ferry.
- Gibraltar: With your Local Expert, explore the Rock of Gibraltar, one of the pillars of Hercules, affording magnificent views and see the meeting of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Spanish Sierra. Visit St. Michael's Cave and see the Barbary Apes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Madrid: Visit the Prado Museum with an art historian who places key works within their historical setting. With your historian's expert guidance, you'll examine paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Titian and Rubens, noting their connection to royal patronage and the broader European tradition. Learn how the museum, founded in 1819, became a principal repository for Spain's royal collections and major works from across the continent.
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.
- Lisbon: Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant and the opportunity to mingle with your fellow travellers.
- 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.
- Alfarnatejo: Taste a selection of freshly pressed olive oils with locally made bread when you stop at Almazara, the oldest olive grove in the region.
- Alfarnatejo: Share a home-cooked lunch with a local family in Alfarnatejo. Expect simple Andalusian dishes, seasonal ingredients and an easy conversation around the table. It's a chance to see how meals are prepared and shared in this part of rural Spain, and to hear stories about the town from the people who live there.
- Madrid: In Madrid, you'll sit down to a final dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a local restaurant.
- Dining Summary: 6 Dinners (D), 15 Breakfasts (B), 1 Lunch (L)
- 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
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.
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Insight Vacations Europe, Britain & the World (2026-27)
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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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