Highlights of Spain and Portugal

The fiery Spanish capital of Madrid paves the way for an unforgettable journey through centuries of history and cultural highlights across the Iberian Peninsula. Embrace la buena vida and soak up the vibrant city atmosphere, before joining your fellow travelers and Travel Director for dinner and a city orientation.

Journey to Valencia, a city known for its modern verve and spirit of innovation. Your orientation includes views of the Towers of Serrano and Quart, along with the striking City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava. During a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, enjoy organic horchata, Valencia’s celebrated local drink. This evening, you could choose to join an Optional Experience and learn to make paella with local chefs in the city where this much-loved dish began.

Travel to Guadix, where you’ll witness how generations of locals have carved cozy abodes into their rocky surrounds. We'll visit the troglodyte cave dwellings that blend effortlessly into the surrounding ochre landscape. Then, journey to Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors in Europe.

Tread in the footsteps of Spain's last emirs, joining your Local Specialist for a visit to the incredible Alhambra, with its amazing palaces, gardens and fountains. Inspired by poetry, the architecture is said to be a reflection of paradise as described in Islamic verse. Immerse yourself in the tranquil atmosphere in quiet courtyards, follow its colossal ancient walls and admire the ornate stone carvings. We then leave Granada behind for Córdoba where we'll join a Local Specialist to visit the mesmerizing Mosque of the Caliphs, a jewel of Hispano-Islamic art featuring striking arches and Byzantine mosaics. Our final stop for the day is alluring Seville, our home for the next three nights.

Seville takes center stage today as you explore this charismatic city. You'll see the symbolic Giralda Bell Tower with a Local Specialist, then visit the Maria Luisa Park, home of the 1929 Exposition. The park was built in Moorish style and features half a mile of fountains, ponds, pavilions and lush plantings. You'll explore the architectural gems of Seville's 1929 Ibero-American Exposition and visit the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world, where the explorer Christopher Columbus is entombed. Consider an Optional Experience this evening to witness the twirling of colorful skirts and rhythmic clapping of castanets at a fiery flamenco performance.

We indulge in the aromatic flavors of Jerez today as we Dive into Culture and into the centuries-old tradition of Spanish sherry production. The quiet plazas of romantic Cádiz are our next stop. Tread in the footsteps of Columbus, who used this historic port city as his launchpad to the 'New World', and see the exotic plants and trees dotted throughout the city, said to have been brought here by him upon his return.

Leaving the zesty scents of Seville behind, head to the golden landscapes of the Alentejo, where the Brito Paes family await your arrival for a special lunch on their traditional stud ranch, which has been rearing Lusitano horses since the 18th century. This Be My Guest experience takes place in the home of their ancestors before continuing to Évora for a guided sightseeing tour. With a Local Specialist you'll visit Evora's cathedral and Chapel of Bones, you will also see the Roman temple. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the hotel.