Grand Spain & Portugal - End Barcelona, Small Group
This 18-day guided tour adds a personal touch as you travel from Portugal to Spain. In Lisbon, traverse the avenues of the Lower Town and learn about the city's finest square with a knowledgeable Local Expert. At Madrid's Prado Museum, an art historian will guide you through rooms of Spain's most impressive Renaissance art. Sample Spain’s most delicious wines and learn about the Verdejo grape at an exclusive wine tasting in in Rueda. Then in Barcelona, walk through the ancient Roman Gate with a Local Expert before stopping to visit the city's most breathtaking basilica, Sagrada Família. Later, join a Gijon local for an intimate and freshly prepared lunch made from locally-sourced produce.


Dining Summary

• 17 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Morning Tea (MT)
• 5 Dinner with Wine (DW)
• 1 Lunch with Wine (LW)

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
• Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.
• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Santiago de Compostela: Join a city tour with a Local Expert and visit Praza do Obradoiro to admire the cathedral facade festooned with architectural frills.
• Santiago de Compostela: Embark on a scenic walk on part of the Way of St. James with a Local Expert, through parks and gardens that transform with the seasons.

Additional Included Highlights

• : 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.

Authentic Dining

• Madrid: Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travelers over a beautiful evening of delicious food and wine.
• Lisbon: Delight in a taste of the famous Portuguese delicacy, Pastéis de Belém.
• Madrid: Honest culinary traditions and a fiesta of fresh ingredients are the hallmarks of your Spanish Highlight Dinner. The perfect accompaniment to good conversation and a chilled glass of beer or wine.
• Barcelona: At a typical Catalan restaurant, savor a delicious Celebration Dinner that incorporates classic cooking with the freshest produce.

Insight Experiences

• Madrid: Witness the world's finest collection of Spanish paintings, plus an impressive international collection, as you tour the Prado Museum with an art historian.
• Toledo: At a Damascene workshop, meet a master artisan for a personal 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 famous Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens. While others wait in line, you'll be exploring accompanied by a Local Expert, keen to share insights into this Moorish landmark.

Make Travel Matter

• Seville: The Cristina Heeren Foundation aims to promote the teaching and conservation of flamenco and is a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Meet the students of the foundation, learn some basic flamenco steps, and then feel the passion as they perform an emotional show. The school enables students access to cultural education that otherwise may not have occurred. TreadRights sponsorship has helped students to complete their studies in advanced guitar, singing and dance. As students complete their training, they will carry on and safeguard the traditional flamenco dance, contributing to the protection of Andalusia and Spain’s cultural heritage. The Cristina Heeren Foundation advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
• Gijon: Meet Flor, a local of Gijón, for a delicious meal of locally sourced produce that she has prepared just for you.
• Pamplona: In Barcelona, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during a visit to a biodynamic farm whose secrets have been handed down through four generations. Take in the views of Catalunya and taste the flavor of the valley 'Terroir' in the form of a sparkling wine. Sample this light refreshment and follow the process from the vine to your glass, learning about the unique sustainable methods employed. Sparkling wine is essential to Catalan culture, flowing freely during celebrations it is the perfect way to start your adventure into Catalunya. This experience contributes to UN Global Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption.

Top Rated Highlights

• Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Expert. Visit the Old Town, traveling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles, the Cervantes Monument and Royal Palace, before crossing the Puerta del Sol.
• 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 the Seville Cathedral with your Local Expert. Pass the altarpiece dripping with gold and see the Tomb of Columbus, held aloft by four kings.
• Seville: Stroll through Barrio de Santa Cruz with your Local Expert to hear how the Jewish community has shaped the history of Seville.
• Seville: Explore Seville's top sights on a panoramic city tour with your Local Expert.
• 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 with your Local Expert, from the Lower Town, beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco. Visit the Belém Quarter to see the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the medieval Belém Tower.
• Fátima: Join the faithful at one of the world's holiest sites and pay homage at the Chapel of the Apparitions and see the basilica.
• Salamanca: See the golden stone buildings and handsome arcades of Plaza Mayor for which this city is famous for.
• Avila: Explore within the ancient walls of this unique town.
• Santiago de Compostela: Join a city tour with a Local Expert and visit Praza do Obradoiro to admire the cathedral facade festooned with architectural frills.
• Santiago de Compostela: Embark on a scenic walk on part of the Way of St. James with a Local Expert, through parks and gardens that transform with the seasons.
• Oviedo: Led by your Local Expert, see 1,000-year-old wall paintings in some of Europe's oldest churches. Admire the incredible altarpiece, one of the finest in Europe, when you visit the Cathedral of the Holy Savior.
• Picos de Europa: Visit the holy cave of Covadonga and see the tomb of Pelayo who is celebrated for winning the Battle of Covadonga against the Muslim Moors in 722 and later became the first King of Asturias.
• Picos de Europa: Venture into this magnificent national park to admire the stunning picturesque scenery and rocky trails.
• Santillana del Mar: Step back in time when you visit this perfectly preserved and 'most beautiful village in Spain.'
• Bilbao: See the spectacular modern Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry and sites of this Basque region gem during your orientation with your Travel Director.
• Getaria: See the rock known as El Ratón or the mouse.
• San Sebastián: Led by your Local Expert, enjoy a guided walking tour of the Old Quarter including Plaza de la Constitucion.
• Pamplona: Spend free time exploring this city, known for its annual Running with the Bulls festival.
• Barcelona: With your Local Expert, drive down Las Ramblas and the elegant Passeig de Grcia to witness some of the finest Modernist architecture. Journey through the Eixample district to see Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família.
• Barcelona: Venture inside Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the Sagrada Família and marvel at the contrasts of architecture. Above see its giant, tree-like pillars and spectacular vaulting. Admire the wonderful rainbow of the incredible stained-glass windows.

Well-being

• : 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.