Exploring Iberia

Arrival at Lisbon Airport.

Upon arrival at Lisbon's Airport, after leaving baggage claim, your private driver will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel.

This evening, we will meet in the lobby and head to a nearby restaurant for our first meal together as a group.

Guided Tour of Lisbon

There's no better way to get to the heart of a historic city like Lisbon than by venturing from neighborhood to neighborhood on foot. In the morning you'll head out on these winding streets on a three-hour walking tour led by an expert local guide. Along the way, the guide will point out all the major sights of Central Lisbon and recount anecdotes about local lore. It's a great introduction to the culture of this fascinating city.

Day Excursion to Sintra and Pena Palace.

Today you're heading out for a full-day tour of Sintra and its surroundings accompanied by your local expert guide. Located just half an hour east of the city, this resort town in the Sintra Mountains is known for its forested hills, upscale villas, and Moorish palaces. Start with a visit to the Palacio Nacional da Pena(Pena Palace).

After touring the palace you'll have a break for lunch, at which point you can also stroll through the historic village of Sintra and do some shopping and/or sightseeing.

Train to Porto

This morning, we will be picked up from our hotel in Lisbon and transferred to Lisbon Train Station where we will hop on the train to Porto. Upon arrival to Porto, a private transfer will pick us up to take us from the Train Station to our hotel in Porto.

Porto’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic city center is also a living organism where old and contemporary architecture co-exist. On your walking tour of the city today, you will have an architect guide to point out some of the fascinating architectural highlights. This is a tour that can be adapted according to the interests of the group, your guide will bring alive whatever buildings you see through expert insights and colorful anecdotes There is no better way to gain an understanding of the different types of buildings that make up Porto's cityscape.

Day Excursion to the Douro Valley with River Cuise and Wine Tasting

Today you are going to embark on a trip into the Douro Valley, home to some of Portugal's best wines, wine estates, and scenery. Your guide will collect you in Porto to travel to the heart of the region, discussing with you why it is such a special place. During the day you'll visit a 'Quinta' or winery where you'll enjoy a tasting of a selection of their wines while learning about the wine making process.

You will then move on to a nearby traditional town, where you will have time for a typical local lunch on your own. After a little time to explore, you'll step on board a traditional boat for an hour's relaxing cruise down the river to admire the beautiful setting and idyllic estates overlooking the river.

Madrid - Gastronomy Journey

Pair classic tapas with Madrid’s history as your local guide shows you how the story of Madrid can’t be told without its food. Get ready for Spanish food and Spanish history to come to life.

As you weave between century-old tapas bars, historic plazas, and mystery-filled streets, you’ll learn how the story of Madrid is as much a story of kings and wars as it is one of garlic shrimp and crusty bread.

Madrid - History, Culture, & Architecture

On this privately guided walking tour of Madrid, you will see the most emblematic and lovely places of the Spanish capital, and you will get a general idea of Madrid, discover its traditions, main monuments, like the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and the Cathedral, but also the hidden corners and the mysteries of its old town.

Visit Real Madrid Football Stadium

In 1943, Santiago Bernabéu became president of Real Madrid and launched one of his great projects: the construction of a stadium that would meet the demands of an increasingly popular sport and a club that did not stop growing.

Train from Madrid to Granada

This morning, we'll be picked up at our hotel and transferred to the train station in Madrid. We'll take a fast train to Granada. Upon our arrival in Granada, we will be transferred to our hotel from the train station.

Granada - Discover the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens

Granada was once the last bastion of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) when it was ruled by the moors, and you can see striking examples of this history on your tour today: observe features such as the hand of Fatima, on the gateway of the Gate of Justice (Puerta de la Justicia), fingers outstretched to ward off the evil eye (or belief in the power of curse), or the extravagant design in the Court of the Myrtles (Patio de Comares).

Your tour will not only take you through the grand buildings but will also allow you to stroll the enchanting Generalife park and gardens, vibrantly filled with flowers, fountains and pathways.

Day Excursion to Andalusia Countryside

Today's adventure takes you one hour from Granada into the idyllic and time-trapped Las Alpujarras Mountains, which stretch south from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Historically, the range was sometimes spelled "Alpuxarras", suggesting that it may derive from Arabic, meaning "grassland", and this verdant upland certainly lives up to the name, with water from snowmelt tinting the area in greenery despite the foothills below remaining arid.

This excursion will embark you upon a 3-hour hike, crossing through tiny mountain villages with only a few hundred inhabitants. The villages were the last stronghold of the Spanish Muslims, or Moors who, soon after the Castillians took Granada in 1492, were forced to convert to Christianity, or flee. Those who refused to convert opted instead to take to the hills, settling in this remote, inaccessible area.

The most important archaeological site in eastern Cuba is located on the Cerro de Yaguajay where we can see on one side, an archaeological plot and on the other a cemetery, discovered in 1986 and exhibiting 56 out of the more than 100 skeletons found in the area. Great material evidence was also found of ancient settlement of aboriginal ceramic farmers distributed throughout villages located on the surrounding hills.

Check in at your accommodations.

Ronda Guided Visit

Enjoy a private walking tour of Ronda with an expert local guide.

Ernest Hemingway once wrote that Ronda is the most romantic town in Spain, and it’s not hard to see why. In addition to being home to a number of palaces, museums, and historic buildings, Ronda is set on a spectacular gorge and surrounded by the Serranía de Ronda mountain range.

Your route will take you to one of the oldest and most traditional neighborhoods of the city, where you’ll pass through narrow, winding streets that connect traditional monuments and points of interest. You’ll learn about the history of the Arabic Medina and visit the famously well-preserved Arab Baths, built in the 13th and 14th century. You’ll also visit the three iconic bridges that connect the city over the El Tajo Gorge, including the iconic Puente Nuevo bridge, Ronda’s most famous landmark.

Optional - Caminito del Rey

For those of you looking for a little adventure, today you will have a chance to hike the legendary Caminito del Rey. This translates to "the king's little path" and is a walkway pinned to the steep walls of a narrow gorge.

This walk is not for the feint of heart, but would certainly appeal to adrenaline junkies!

If you choose to do this activity, you will take a separate transfer to Ronda, stopping along the way to do the hike. You'll arrive in Ronda in the late afternoon where you can explore on your own.

Today our driver will pick us up for the 3-hour journey to the city of Sevilla. On the way, we will stop to discover Córdoba.

We'll visit many historic sights, including the breathtaking Mezquita (Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba), a pagan temple that was converted into the great mosque of the Ummayad caliphate. Later it was transformed into a Catholic church.

We'll also meander around the winding streets of the Jewish Quarter. Within this historic neighborhood is the Córdoba Synagogue, which dates to 1315. In addition, we'll visit the Alcázar de los Reyes from the outside, a palace built in the 14th century.

Seville - Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Today, we will bid farewell over a home cooked meal prepared by us!

Make the tastes and aromas of Andalusian gastronomy come alive in Seville as we first visit the city's oldest market to purchase some fresh ingredients, depending on what’s in season, in preparation for cooking a four-course traditional meal which we will then do under the guidance of experienced chefs.

This cooking class combines the very best both from Spain`s rich culinary history along with some of the most popular dishes from Andalusia's distinctive regional cuisine. The cooking class itself will be a fun, social hands-on experience, under the guidance of experienced chefs.

At the end of the class, we will enjoy a traditional full meal with Spanish wine included.

Seville - Guided Visit

Get acquainted with Seville on this private walking tour with an expert local guide and learn about its 2,000-year history along the way.

Admire from the outside the Seville Cathedral, a 15th-century Roman-Catholic church that's home to the tomb of Christopher Columbus. Visit La Giralda, the cathedral's looming belltower. You'll then walk to the orange tree-filled Santa Cruz neighborhood, known as the Jewish Quarter with its narrow streets and quaint squares.

You will also visit the Alcazar, a grandiose monument, included by UNESCO in its list of World Heritage monuments, and a set of palaces and gardens that represents a harmonious synthesis between Christian and Muslim culture.

Traditional Andalusian Market Visit & Cooking Class

Today, we will bid farewell over a home cooked meal prepared by us!

Make the tastes and aromas of Andalusian gastronomy come alive in Seville as we first visit the city's oldest market to purchase some fresh ingredients, depending on what’s in season, in preparation for cooking a four-course traditional meal which we will then do under the guidance of experienced chefs.

At the end of the class, we will enjoy a traditional full meal with Spanish wine included.