Highlights of Spain & Portugal

(13 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Seville, Evora, Lisbon, Sintra

This private, luxurious tour features the very best of Spain and Portugal: dynamic cities, beautiful landscapes, impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites, delicious food and wine, and rich cultural traditions. The tour includes acclaimed luxury hotels and private touring with sophisticated local experts.

Begin in Barcelona, one of Europe's most dynamic centers of modern design and cutting-edge cuisine. Discover Gaudi’s fantastical structures such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo or the hillside Parc Guell. Visit some of the city’s excellent museums, such as the Picasso Museum or Miro Museum. Stroll along Las Ramblas—Barcelona’s most famous boulevard—and explore the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera. If desired, explore the city’s shopping districts, stopping at upscale boutiques along the broad Passeig de Gracia and design shops in the stylish Born and Raval neighborhoods. Also visit the city’s leading food markets, including the Santa Caterina Market and La Boqueria Market.

Next, visit Madrid, the Spanish capital known for its elegant squares, stately Habsburg architecture, leafy boulevards and superb museums. With your expert private guide, explore the highlights of the city. See world-renowned museums such as the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, CaixaForum, and/or the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Tour the majestic Royal Palace. Stroll through the exclusive shopping and residential districts. Also visit historic squares and lively markets, including the gourmet San Miguel Market.

Continue Granada, one of the richest and most populated cities in Europe during Moorish rule and still one of Spain's most breathtaking cities. With your expert private guide, tour the extraordinary Alhambra—one of the highlights of Spain—a stunning Moorish castle, palace and garden complex on a hillside overlooking the town. Visit the Generalife, the summer palace and gardens of Moorish royalty. Also tour the labyrinthine streets of the Albaicin—the old Arab Quarter—and discover a world full of winding, hilly streets, Moorish fountains, and teterías (Arabic tearooms).

Spend two nights in Seville, the capital of Andalusia and a city flavored as much by the sounds of flamenco and the smell of orange blossoms as by its 500-year domination by the Moors. Take an insider’s tour of this beautiful city. Explore the charming Santa Cruz neighborhood, tour the gardens and mosaic tile-covered rooms of the Reales Alcazares—a spectacular Moorish palace, see the world's largest Gothic cathedral (which contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus), browse specialty boutiques and markets, and other cultural highlights. One evening, you may wish to attend a local flamenco performance or a bullfight at the famed bullring. One night, enjoy a tasting tour that visits some of Seville's most beloved tapas bars.

Next, you will be driven to Portugal. Stop in Evora, a beautiful city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Alentejo region. Explore the narrow streets lined with whitewashed houses and see the ancient Roman ruins and Moorish architecture. 

Continue to Lisbon. Experience the city like an insider during in-depth private touring. Visit Lisbon’s highlights—monuments of beautiful Moorish architecture, the old Alfama district, the sophisticated Bairro Alto and Lapa districts, important museums in Belem and elsewhere, select specialty shops (gold, tiles, antiques, linens, needlepoint rugs, Indo-Portuguese furniture) and more. Reservations will be made at the city’s best restaurants each night. Also enjoy a memorable fado performance at a local club. One day, enjoy a private excursion to the lovely aristocratic town of Sintra to see the spectacular castles, manors, gardens, and backstreets that feature Portuguese design, architecture and history at its finest. Also stop in Cascais, a charming seaside village.