Spain’s Costa del Sol & The Portuguese Riviera

Enjoy a true taste of the Iberian Peninsula. In Madrid, visit the renowned Prado Museum with a local expert. Travel via high-speed train to the Moorish city of Cordoba. Relax on the Costa del Sol. Tour Granada’s Alhambra Palace. Marvel at the architecture of the Cathedral of Seville, third largest in the world. Visit Ronda, one of the loveliest and most historic towns in Andalucía. Tour Lisbon, including the Moorish Alfama Quarter. Enjoy a 4-night stay on Portugal’s Riviera. Visit the Mafra Palace and Monastery, one of the most impressive baroque buildings in Portugal. Travel the Silver Coast and visit Fatima, the world-famous pilgrimage site. Enjoy leisure time for independent explorations.

Day 1 – Overnight Flight

Day 2 – Madrid, Spain – Tour Begins
Welcome to Madrid, Spain’s dynamic capital city. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner.

Day 3 – Madrid – Prado Museum
Ease your way into the local culture as your Tour Manager teaches you a few key phrases of the native language. Enjoy a locally-guided tour of Madrid’s historic center. See the Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. Join a local expert to explore the priceless masterpieces of the Prado Museum which opened in 1819 and boasts the world’s finest collection of art by masters such as Velazquez and Goya. Your afternoon is at leisure. (B)

Day 4 – Madrid – High-Speed Train – Cordoba – Costa del Sol
Sit back and enjoy stunning landscapes as you travel via high-speed train to the Moorish city of Cordoba. Embark on a walking tour of the Mezquita, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally built as a mosque, it was converted into the city’s cathedral when the Christians conquered the region in 1236. Enjoy a stroll through the streets of the historic Jewish quarter. Later, arrive in Spain’s Costa del Sol for a three-night stay. (B/D)

Day 5 – Costa del Sol
Enjoy a day at leisure to relax and experience the best of this cosmopolitan coastal region. Stroll the sandy beaches and promenades or linger at a traditional café. Your Tour Manager will be on hand to help you plan your day. (B)

Day 6 – Costa del Sol – Granada – Costa del Sol
Take a day trip to Granada, the last great capital of the Moors in Spain. Travel past rolling hills dotted with olive groves, capturing the country’s classic beauty. Upon arrival, join a local expert for a tour of the world-famous Alhambra, a hilltop palace and UNESCO site. Tour the Generalife, “Garden of the Architect,” and behold the waterfalls, courtyards and secret gardens upon its grounds. (B)

Day  7 – Costa del Sol – Ronda – Seville
Travel to Ronda, one of the loveliest and most historic towns in Andalucía. Join a local expert exploring Ronda’s old town full of twisting narrow streets, 18th-century Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) over the El Tajo gorge, and La Alameda Park with its wonderful panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and mountains. Continue to Spain’s “cultural capital” – Seville. (B/D)

Day  8 – Seville
In Seville, see Columbus’ tomb, the ornate cathedral (UNESCO), and Giralda Bell Tower. Take a walking tour of the quaint Santa Cruz Quarter with its cascading bright flowers, whitewashed buildings and winding streets. Continue to Plaza de Espana and the beautiful Maria Luisa Park – one of the loveliest parks in all of Europe. (B)

Day 9 – Seville – Azeitao, Portugal – Cascais
Depart Spain and travel through the Portuguese countryside to Azeitao – an agricultural village known for red wine, olive trees and country estates. Enjoy a tour and tasting of local wines when you visit a centuries-old winemaker. Later, arrive in Cascais, the famous and picturesque coastal resort on the Portuguese Riviera. (B/D)

Day 10 – Cascais – Lisbon – Cascais
Tour Lisbon, including the Moorish Alfama Quarter. See the 16th-century Jeronimo’s Monastery (UNESCO); the Monument to the Discoveries, honoring intrepid Portuguese explorers and their patrons; and the impressive Belem Tower (UNESCO). Then, enjoy leisure time in Cascais…perhaps walk the beach promenade or shop for ceramics, hand-woven works and tapestries. (B)

Day 11 – Cascais – Ericeira – Sintra – Cascais
Visit the impressive Mafra Palace and Monastery, one of the largest Baroque buildings in Portugal. A guided tour takes you through the domed basilica, the royal apartments decorated in 18th-century furniture and paintings, and the magnificent Baroque library, one of the finest in Europe. Enjoy some free time to explore the fishing village of Ericeira, perched on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. Its unique narrow streets, lined with whitewashed chapels and white houses edged in blue, are the perfect place for thoughtful wandering. Continue on to the town of Sintra, a UNESCO site and the favorite summer residence of Portuguese kings for six centuries. Here, peruse specialty shops filled with Portuguese handicrafts. (B)

Day 12 – Cascais – Obidos – Nazare – Fatima – Cascais
Travel Portugal’s Silver Coast, a region filled with sleepy villages, rich vineyards and centuries-old castles. Stop in Obidos, protected by medieval city walls. Continue to Nazare, a coastal fishing village. Then, visit Fatima, the world-famous Marian pilgrimage site. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a wonderful farewell dinner. (B/D)

Day 13 – Cascais – Tour Ends (B)

From $2,499 per person double  – 13 days • 16 meals  

Dates 2016 :
March – May – July/August – November

Book by December 31st and receive a $50 Visa Gift Card! Mention promo code: Spain 50

Contact us today for more information on this great trip!

Tour Code: VC