Itinerary

1. Madrid Arrival

   Meet your tour director at 5:00 PM for a welcome drink at your hotel with your fellow travelers. Your evening is free to explore and dine as you wish.

2. Rioja Winery & San Sebastian

   Travel north to Rioja, a region renowned for its wine heritage, hilltop medieval towns, and historic charm. Visit one of the region’s 500 wineries for a guided tour of the vineyards and cellars, followed by tastings and lunch. Travel on to San Sebastian, in the heart of the Basque Country, where your evening is free to stroll the seafront promenade and explore the cobblestone streets of the Old Town, dining independently in one of its many cafes and restaurants. (B, L)

3. San Sebastian & Pintxos Experience

   Tour central San Sebastian, taking in the lively atmosphere, elegant architecture, and the wide promenade of La Concha. Afterward, enjoy a walking tour of the old town with a pintxos experience, sampling small, flavorful bites from bars with counters of colorful snacks – a traditional Basque custom. (B)

4. Guggenheim Museum & Bilbao

   Travel to Bilbao for a guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; this titanium-clad structure is a masterpiece of modern architecture by American Frank Gehry and a major showcase of contemporary art. Enjoy some free time, perhaps to explore the shops and restaurants along the cobbled streets of the atmospheric Old Town. Continue to your hotel in Limpias, situated in a historic palace with beautiful wooded grounds, where you’ll dine on regional Cantabrian cuisine with your group. (B, D)

5. El Capricho de Gaudí, Santillana del Mar & Asturian Cider

   Visit El Capricho de Gaudí, an early, playful work by the celebrated architect, rich in intricate details with lush gardens. Continue to Santillana del Mar, recognized as one of Spain’s most beautiful villages, for a short tour of its medieval delights and free time for lunch. Next, travel into Asturias and enjoy dinner at a local cider house, tasting local cider poured in the traditional way, with servers tipping the bottle high above their heads to introduce air and volume. (B, D)

6. Oviedo Cathedral & A Coruña

   Travel to regal Oviedo, the capital of Asturias with a rich medieval heritage, for a visit to its majestic Cathedral and a short overview of the historic old town. Enjoy free time for lunch. Continue to A Coruña on the Galician coast, where Celtic and and Roman heritage blend with dramatic seaside vistas – legend says you can see Ireland from the first-century Tower of Hercules. See the sights on a panoramic tour. Dine at your beachfront hotel this evening. (B, D)

7. Santiago de Compostela, Cathedral, & Porto

   Travel to Santiago de Compostela, the historic endpoint of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. See the city on a walking tour, then visit Santiago Cathedral, a magnificent Romanesque-style structure that has welcomed pilgrims for centuries. Enjoy free time for lunch before continuing into Portugal and arriving in Porto, for a short panoramic tour introduces you to the city perched above the Douro River. Dine at your hotel this evening. (B, D)

8. Douro River Cruise & Port Tasting

   Take a serene, scenic cruise on the Douro River, gliding beneath Porto’s bridges and past the colorful riverside quarter of Ribeira, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Vila Nova de Gaia for a visit to a port house, where you’ll enjoy a tasting and lunch, learning about the centuries-old traditions of this famed wine fortified with brandy. Your evening is free to stroll Porto and dine as you please. (B, L)

9. Aveiro, Óbidos & Lisbon

   Travel to Aveiro, “The Venice of Portugal,” for a short canal cruise. Pass Art Nouveau buildings, salt pans, and the fish market on a traditional, colorfully painted moliceiro boat once used for transporting seaweed. Continue to the medieval walled town of Óbidos, famous for its whitewashed houses, blue-tiled churches, and narrow cobbled streets. After a short orientation tour you’ll have free time to explore and enjoy an independent lunch. Travel to Lisbon, Portugal’s coastal capital, where you’ll have dinner with your group. (B, D)

10. Belém & Fado Dinner

    Visit Belém, a historic port district that was busy in the Age of Exploration as sailors ventured forth to discover new trade routes. Tour the city, taking in sights like the ornate Jerónimos Monastery and the Torre de Belém. Return to central Lisbon for a free afternoon to explore independently. Regroup for a farewell dinner, a traditional Fado house, where you’ll savor Portuguese cuisine and hear the melancholic, haunting music that expresses Lisbon’s soul. (B, D)

11. Independent Exploration

    The 11-day tour ends after breakfast. The 12-day tour continues with a day of independent touring in Lisbon on a hop-on hop-off bus. (B)

12. Tour Ends in Lisbon

    The 12 day tour ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner>