Upon arrival in Barcelona, we will come to the hotel individually. Our Spain tour begins with an orientation and welcome dinner. (D)

Today, we enjoy a full day tour around Barcelona, visiting the Miró Foundation, the National Museum of Catalan Art and Park Guell, a World Heritage Site since 1984 and located in the gothic quarter. The evening is free to relax or to discover one of the many local restaurants for dinner. (B). Once part of the Aragonese Empire, Catalonia is now an autonomous Spanish province, proud of its distinctive language and culture. Stretching from the Mediterranean to the Pyrenees, it was here that the Romans first landed on the Iberian peninsula and founded a new "colonnia" on the site of a previous Carthaginian settlement, the area now forming Barcelona's "Barri Gotic." Catalonian heritage is a mixture of old and new as ancient churches and monuments vie for attention with the Modernist school of Gaudi and Dali. The Catalonian capital reflects this contrast with architecture ranging from its Gothic cathedral to Gaudi's modernist Sagrada Familia.

Today, we continue exploring this wonderful city with our local tour guide. We walk along the Paseo de Gracia and through the Barrio Gothic (gothic quarter) and then visit the Maritim Museum. There will be some free time for lunch at our own arrangements. Later we continue with our tour, with a guided visit of Palau de La Musica Catalana. We then enjoy a guided tour of the magnificent, though still unfinished, Sagrada Familia. Dinner tonight is at own arrangements. (B)

After breakfast, we have a morning visit to the Picasso Museum. Thereafter, we head to the train station to catch the high speed AVE train to Calahorra. The journey takes around 2 hours, and on arrival we’ll be transferred to our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is free to explore the surrounding area. Dinner this evening is at our hotel. (B,D)

This morning we will travel to Pamplona, a city made famous by its annual bull runs. We will meet our local guide for a tour of the city, exploring its rise from an army camp for the Roman general Pompey to the capital of the semi-autonomous Navarre region. After lunch at own arrangements, we carry on to Bilbao, (Basque country)where will have dinner at our hotel. (B,D)

This morning the group starts with a tour of the city of Bilbao, including a visit to the magnificent Guggenheim museum where we spend 2 to 3h viewing the collection of contemporary works of art. We will stop at Mercado de Ribera to get some lunch (own arrangements) before continuing on to Burgos. Most of this section of the tour today runs parallel to the Camino de Santiago, the Catherdral in Burgos is an important stop for those making the pilgrimage. We arrive at our hotel in Burgos in time for dinner. (B,D)

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for the Spanish capital, Madrid. Before leaving Burgos, we meet our local tour guide for a walking tour this morning of the city’s highlights, including entrance to the cathedral. En route to Madrid we pause to stretch our legs and grab some lunch (at own arrangements). In Santo Domingo de la Calzada, we stop to view the spectacular Roman aqueduct. We arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon. (B)

This morning we meet our local tour guide for a full-day viewing and exploring the highlights of the Madrid, including entrance to the Royal Palace and “Museo Reina Sofia”; which is is Spain’s national museum of 20th-century art. In the evening, we meet up with a local guide who takes on a Tapas tour of the capital, where we will sample local cuisine across a series of bars. After a post-dinner walk to Mercado San Miguel, we return to our hotel. (B,D)

Today we join our local guide again in exploring the nearby city of Toledo on a walking tour. We will visit the Synagogue de Santa Maria la Blanca, Sante Tome Church, the cathedral and view the exterior of the Alcazar, before we return to Madrid for dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

This morning, we visit the Prado Museum with our local guide. The remainder of the day is free to enjoy the city at leisure. (B)

This morning we check out of our hotel bound for Salamanca. We pause first in El Escorial, where we visit the Royal Monastery. We continue on and pause to view the medieval walls in Avila before arriving at our hotel in Salamanca. Salamanca is probably best known for having the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. This university is still what gives a charming ambiance to the town. Hundreds of students pass through the narrow streets and enjoy the numerous and beautifully decorated cafes until late at night. This charming town is unrivalled in its architectural purity. In central areas all recent buildings are built in Salamanca’s best tradition. The city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have dinner at a local restaurant tonight. (B,D).

We meet our local guide this morning and have a field trip taking in Salamanca’s main sights. We visit the old and new Cathedrals, the House of Shells (Casa de las Conchas) and the University. We have a free afternoon to continue to explore Salamanca at our own pace. (B)

We check out of our hotel and depart for Portugal this morning. En route to Braga, we pause to explore Zamora. We arrive in Braga and check in to our hotel. Dinner tonight is at our hotel. (B,D)

This morning, we meet our local guide for a full-day tour introducing us to Porto. We visit the cathedral and the Church of São Francisco. We stop in a local port lodge for a guided tour and tasting of port. En route back to Braga we pause to view the main sights of Guimarães. Dinner tonight is at leisure. (B)

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for the Portuguese capital. On the way we pause to explore Coimbra and arrive at Lisbon in time for dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

This morning we meet our local guide for a half-day tour of Lisbon including entrance to the Royal Carriage Museum. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the city at leisure. (B)

Today we explore the coastal areas surrounding Lisbon. We travel first to Estoril and then on to Cascais. We pause in Cabo de Roca, to view Europe’s westernmost point, and also stop in Sintra where we pause for lunch (own arrangements). We carry on to Queluz to visit the Royal Palace and gardens before returning to Lisbon. Tonight we have dinner at a local restaurant where we are exposed to the traditional Portuguese art-form of the fado in an evening performance. (B,D)

We leave the Portuguese capital today as we travel to Mérida. En route we pause in Badajoz. Upon our arrival in Mérida, we meet our local guide and have a city tour during which we visit the Roman theatre, the amphitheatre, the Casa del Mitreo, and the National Museum of Roman Art. We have dinner at our hotel  tonight. (B,D)

We depart Mérida for Seville this morning. We pause in Aracena with time to explore the town at our own pace and get some lunch (own arrangements). We arrive in Seville late afternoon. (B)

This morning, we meet our local guide for a tour that takes in the highlights of Seville. On our tour, we will visit the Alcazar, the cathedral, the Treasury and Giralda. We will also walk through the Barrio de Santa Cruz. This afternoon is free for us to explore at leisure, and in the evening we will attend a flamenco show with a tapas dinner. (B,D)

Today we explore Jerez de la Fronterra on foot, where we will visit a sherry bodega for a tour and tasting. We then continue to Cadiz to view the city on our own, before returning to Seville. (B)

We check out of our hotel this morning bound for Granada. En route we meet a local guide in Cordoba where we are introduced to the highlights of the city. Our guide will take us to the Mezquita and Tower, the beautiful Mosque of Córdoba, before we continue on to Granada. (B)

We meet our local guide this morning and begin our exploration of Granada. We view the main sights of the city and visit the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real). We then enter the magnificent Alhambra Palace and the Generalife Gardens. The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to explore Granada at leisure. We come together this evening for our farewell dinner in a local restaurant. (B,D)

After breakfast, the tour will end today in Granada. (B)