Day 1: Fly overnight to Portugal
Day 2: Lisbon
Meet your Field Director at the destination airportTake a walking tour of the age-old Islamic Alfama district of Lisbon, which includes includes 16th century aristocratic palaces and churches
Enjoy dinner in Lisbon
Day 3: Lisbon
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Lisbon
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Tower of Belém
- Monument to the Discoveries
Visit the Jerónimos Monastery, a monastery built by King Manuel to honor the country’s great voyagers
Sintra and Cascais
Enjoy a half-day excursion to the hillside town of Sintra, referred to by Lord Byron as “glorious Eden”. Here, you’ll visit the National Palace of Sintra, whose two conical chimneys reign as the town’s most recognizable landmarks. Continue to the charming beach town of Cascais. Due to Portugal’s neutrality in World War II, Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe, including those of Spain, Italy and Bulgaria.
Day 4: Lisbon • Seville
Travel via Évora, a Roman town lined with whitewashed houses and colorful azulejos, on your way to Seville
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Évora, a walled town that is home to the Praca de Giraldo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the Chapel of Bones, a 16th century place of worship decorated with bones and skulls
Take a walking tour of Seville
With your Field Director you will see:
- Giralda Tower, part of the Great Mosque of Seville and transformed with Renaissance stylings by the Catholic Church
- Torre de Oro, an Islamic watchtower
- Plaza de Toros de Maestranza, Seville's famous bullring
Enjoy dinner in Seville
Day 5: Seville
Visit the Seville Alcázar, an architectural wonder originally founded as a fort for the governors of Seville in 913
Visit Seville Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world that took more than a century to build
Take a tour of Seville
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Barrio de Santa Cruz's narrow, twisting alleys
- Maria Luisa Park, and its mosaics and fountains of Plaza de España
- Plaza de Toros to learn about the tradition of Spanish bullfighting
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Seville on your own
Day 6: Seville • Madrid
Travel by the high speed, energy efficient AVE train to Madrid
With your Field Director, take a walking tour of Madrid, Spain’s capital and largest city
Visit the Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
Day 7: Madrid
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Take a guided tour of Madrid
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s busiest squares
- Plaza Mayor, the center of old Madrid where you’ll learn about the grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings, and public executions
- Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace square, located across from the Royal Palace
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
Day 8: Madrid
Toledo
This half-day excursion will take you to the former Spanish capital of Toledo. Known as the “city of the three cultures,” this was a place of peaceful coexistence of Jews, Christians and Muslims. Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. Enjoy a panoramic drive around the city and visit the cathedral that dominates Toledo’s skyline. Then continue on to the Church of Santo Tomé where you’ll view The Burial of Count Orgaz, one of El Greco’s most famous works. Step inside one of Toledo's synagogues and finish off your excursion with a stop at a local sword-making workshop.
Enjoy a tapas dinner in Madrid, consisting of many small plates of local culinary favorites
Day 9: Depart for home
Add 2 more days
Day 9: Madrid • Barcelona
Travel by AVE train to Barcelona
With your Field Director, take walking tour of Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall where you’ll find endless entertainment, restaurants, markets, monuments and shopping
Enjoy dinner in Barcelona
Day 10: Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona
With your expert local guide you will see:
- La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s masterpiece cathedral that is over 130 years in the making
- Gothic Quarter, a memory of the Roman Empire, now lined with shops and restaurants
- Barcelona Cathedral, a Gothic Revival church known for its gargoyles and other mythical animals
Visit Park Güell, a vast public park designed by Antoni Gaudí that features colorful mosaics and remarkable architecture
Barcelona by bike
Feel the warm Mediterranean air breeze by as you explore Barcelona on a guided bicycle tour. This bicycle-friendly city has more than 75 miles of lanes for cyclists, providing a safe, fun and fast way to gain a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s richly diverse streets and neighborhoods. Stop along the way to learn historical details about the city’s famous sites before pedaling on to your next destination.
Day 11: Depart for home
)
