12 Day Classic Spain & Portugal - Wednesday Departure
Tour Operator:
Tour Code:
PT-ES-12DIBE
Start City:
Lisbon
End City:
Madrid
Tour Style:
Tour Quality:
First Class
Tour Length:
12 days
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Tour Itinerary
Costa del Sol , Granada , Lisbon , Madrid , Seville
DAY 1, Wednesday - Depart for Portugal
Depart for Portugal
DAY 2, Thursday - Arrive in Lisbon
Arrive in captivating Lisbon, and transfer to your hotel. Most flights arrive in the early morning and your room may not be ready for you. In this case, leave your luggage with the concierge and your Tour Manager will provide suggestions for you to begin to explore the city on your own. Your tour will begin with an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager at approximately 7 PM followed by a light dinner. We recommend that you select flights which arrive no later than 5 PM
Overnight: Lisbon
Meals: Dinner
DAY 3, Friday - Lisbon City Tour
In Lisbon, the tour begins with a stop at the top of Edward VII's Park to enjoy a magnificent view over the hills of Lisbon and the River Tagus. Next, view the treasured 16th century Belem Tower, a monument to Portugal's Age of Discovery and visit the Jeronimos Monastery, resting place of explorer Vasco da Gama, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afternoon is at leisure or, join the optional tour to quaint Sintra, the "Glorious Eden" of Lord Byron, and ancient summer retreat of the royal court, highlighted by lavish romantic castles and stunning monuments. Visit the Sintra Royal Palace, a 15th century royal residence, containing one of the largest tile collections in Portugal. Then, spend some free time in the village historic center before returning to Lisbon*Jeronimos Monastery is closed on Mondays, therefore it will be replaced with the Maritime Museum.
Optional: Half Day Sintra Tour (PM)
Overnight: Lisbon
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4, Saturday - Travel to Seville
Depart Lisbon this morning heading south. Cross the region of Alentejo, with its rolling hills, vineyards and cork oak trees. Reach the Spanish border and enter the region of Andalucia. Continue your drive through picturesque Andalucia to Seville. After dinner, opportunity to attend an optional Flamenco Show in Seville, known as the birthplace of Flamenco
Optional: Evening Flamenco Show (PM)
Overnight: Seville
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5, Sunday - Seville City Tour
Begin the day at the beautiful Plaza de España and the fragrant gardens of Maria Luisa Park before taking a walking tour in the quaint Barrio Santa Cruz, the former Jewish Quarter of the city with its winding cobblestone streets. Continue with a visit to the Royal Alcázar of Seville and marvel at the many examples of Mudejar architecture in this beautiful palace, built for the Christian king Peter of Castile. The rest of the day is at leisure or, join the fascinating optional tour to Cordoba, founded by the Romans. Visit the astonishing Mezquita de Cordoba, one of the largest mosques in the world, transformed into a soaring cathedral in the 16th century. A walking tour of the city reveals the ancient Jewish Quarter with its labyrinth of winding narrow streets, shady flower filled courtyards, picturesque squares, and view of the 14th century Synagogue on Calle de los Judios
Optional: Half Day Cordoba Tour (PM)
Overnight: Seville
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6, Monday - Ronda Sightseeing en route to Costa del Sol
This morning, head south to the dramatic cliffside city of Ronda, considered the birthplace of modern bullfighting. Start with a tour of Ronda, home to Spain's oldest bullring, the Plaza de Toros. Here, you can see the historic stables and museum along with displays of famous Matadors before proceeding to Costa del Sol
Overnight: Costa del Sol
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 7, Tuesday - Full Day in Costa del Sol
Spend a full day at leisure in Costa del Sol to enjoy all of the delights of this resort area or, join the optional morning tour to Malaga, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Visit the Picasso Museum with over 285 works donated by members of Picasso's family. View the Paseo de la Alameda, Paseo del Parque & the Barrio de la Malagueta. A walking tour through this historic town is accented by views of the Malaga Cathedral, the second highest in southern Spain. Proceed to Cathedral Square before heading back. Dinner tonight is at the hotel
Optional: Half Day Malaga Tour (AM)
Overnight: Costa del Sol
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8, Wednesday - Excursion to Gibraltar
Journey to the impressive Rock of Gibraltar,* a British colony for over 300 years standing guard over the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean and Europe meets Africa. Take a tour of the area with minibusses climbing up to see St. Michael's Cave and the famous Barbary apes with dramatic views of both the Spanish and Moroccan coastline. Spend some time in the main street of town with its colonial buildings and duty-free shops. Return to Costa del Sol for overnight*Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory independent from Spain and therefore has different entry requirements. Non-US passport holders are responsible to check if a visa is required for Gibraltar in addition to all other countries on their itinerary.
Overnight: Costa del Sol
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9, Thursday - Moorish Influenced Alhambra
Depart the southern coast and journey to Moorish Granada. Your visit is highlighted by a tour of the 13th century Alhambra,* one of Spain's most celebrated monuments, dramatically perched atop Assabica Hill overlooking the entire city. This imposing hilltop fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world's finest examples of Moorish art and architecture. During the reign of the Moors, the Alhambra served as the residence of the royal family. Walk along the lanes of the serene Generalife Gardens with its beautifully designed courtyards, waterfalls and ponds, and views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Tonight, dinner is at a local restaurant *Alhambra visiting times, which may include evening hours, and which areas of the complex are accessible on the day of your visit, are determined solely at the discretion of the Alhambra. Your itinerary will be arranged by your Tour Manager to accommodate the designated time of entry.
Overnight: Granada
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10, Friday - Toledo Sightseeing en route to Madrid
Travel via the region of La Mancha, legendary home of Don Quixote, featuring panoramic views of its famous windmills. Continue to Toledo, the former capital city of Spain that still retains its medieval atmosphere and charm. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, Toledo is known for its extensive monumental heritage and historical coexistence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures. A walking tour will include a visit to the Church of Santo Tomé with the masterpiece painting by El Greco and the Synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca, the oldest synagogue in Europe still standing. Continue to Madrid and spend the evening at leisure
Overnight: Madrid
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11, Saturday - Madrid City Tour
This morning take a sightseeing tour of Madrid. Drive along the Gran Via through the Opera District, Plaza de Colon and view the Royal Palace. Pass by the elegant Plaza de Cibeles and Puerta de Alcala Gate. The tour will end at the world-renowned Prado Museum, where you will be able to view works of art by famous artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, and Ribera. Spend the afternoon at leisure or, join the optional tour to Escorial. This combination monastery-palace-mausoleum is situated approximately one hour outside of Madrid in the foothills of the Guadarrama Mountains. Bid adios to your Tour Manager during dinner at a local restaurant
Optional: Half Day Escorial Tour (PM)
Overnight: Madrid
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 12, Sunday - Depart Spain
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast
Please Note: Land Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.
OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620
Please Note: Land Price does not include airfare, departure or arrival transfers, airline taxes and fuel surcharges.
Escorted Package Includes
Other departure cities available.
Special Features
♦ Saturday departures do not include the Jeronimos Monastery but instead will visit the Maritime Museum.
†Transfers are available for purchase for land only or on alternative flight dates
Not Included:
Optional tours and gratuities.
Additional Information:
Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers.
Passport information must be submitted to us Travel at least 60 days prior to departure.
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At Gate 1 we take your safety and security very seriously. We have a strong network of tour managers, local offices, ground operators and colleagues which help us stay informed in all the destinations that we operate. We closely monitor local situations which enable us to make the operational decisions necessary to keep our tours running safely. Millions of people travel the world each year and experience enjoyable and safe trips but crimes against people and property are sadly a fact of life. It is very important to be aware of your surroundings and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Please remember that you have the same responsibility for your personal safety and possessions as you do at home. It is essential to prepare for a safe and healthy travel abroad. Therefore before you travel, we strongly recommend that you visit the website of the US Department of State at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html for up-to-date travel advice on the countries that you are visiting. The website provides useful information on subjects such as safety and security information, health precautions and medications, health insurance and additional tips for traveling abroad. If you do not reside in the United States, we recommend you check your government's travel advisory website for any country you will be visiting. We recommend that you review the safety guidance that may be provided by us, our agents or suppliers, either before you go or when you arrive in your destination. You can also find helpful tips on our website in the "Trip Preparation" tab of each of our tour packages. We do know that in-spite of careful planning, things can sometimes still go wrong, so rest assured, we will be there to help and support you.
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Lumen Hotel
This first class hotel is located in the center of Lisbon.
Melia Lebreros
This first class hotel is situated in Seville's Nervion district.
Ocean House Costa del Sol Affiliated by Melia
This first class hotel overlooks Carihuela Beach.
Gran Hotel Luna De Granada
This first class hotel is located in the city of Granada within walking distance of Parque Garcia Lorca.
Melia Madrid Serrano
This first class hotel is located in Madrid's Salamanca district, close to many museums.
OR Call Us For a Free Quote 1-800-935-2620
Question: How many suitcases can I take with me on my trip?
Question: Is Airfare Included in the Price?
Great trip with incredible sites. The guide that supported us (Carlos) for the entire trip was simply amazing. He was beyond professional. He communicated and re-communicated all we needed to know daily. There was no opportunity for confusion, questions, and or concern. It was just wonderful!!
We had an enjoyable trip. Our Tour Director, Ercilia, is a very caring individual who ensured at all times that we had up to date information for every place we visited. She is very knowledgeable and tried to assist us in every way. Excellent job, Cilia. The driver we had from Lisbon to Madrid, George (English translation) performed well. Even though there wasn't much communication, he was always pleasant and most importantly drove in a safe manner. With regards to the itinerary, I would recommend that Gate 1 consider extending the Portugal portion of the tour and reducing the Spain portion by the corresponding no of days, while maintaining the length of the tour.
Some Hotels are rough around the edges and do not deserve to be rated at 4 stars.
I enjoyed all of the trip, tours, etc. with a few exceptions. The guides at the museums talked WAY too much. I would have preferred a brief explanation (especially in the Picasso museum) and then let us go through at our own pace. Picasso is an acquired taste, and I quite possibly like him less that I did before just because I was so bored listening to the verbose explanations of his "works". It took an hour and had I done it myself, it would have been 15 minutes max. Similarly, in the Prada museum, our trio split from the group and walked around on our own after about 20 minutes of utter boredom. We saw a lot more of the museum than the group and enjoyed ourselves more. I was pleased with all of the hotels - better than I thought they would be based on the price of the Gate 1 tour.
One disappointment was missing the day in Tangier because of ferry closures, but arrangements were quickly made for visits to Ronda and Mijas. Our tour guide was a delight and our lodging excellent. Like Gate 1.
Hard to say. It was probably worth the money, but the particular things they chose to do left a lot to be desired. And most of the 'cooler' things weren't included - and required the purchase of an 'optional/additional' package. We ended up doing more/better things on our own. The tour guide and driver were great, and the bus/accommodations were great. Just not sure about all of their choices - some cities I think they did better than others.
It seemed like the excursions were determined by ease of access or by cost instead of what attractions are the most desireable. We opted to do none of the excursions but used public transport to get to see the highlights in the areas that we wanted.
The Gate 1 trip we took (15 day classic Spain & Portugal) was excellent. Our tour guide was personable, informative and always available to help. He offered to our entire tour group to follow him to the metro in Barcelona where he provided instruction to everyone on how to efficiently navigate the city. This was done on his time outside of the his tour duties. I hope Gate 1 recognizes his superior quality of service. All of the stops we visited were excellent. Gate 1 provided easy access to all locations. The bus drivers were excellent, driving through many narrow streets with great skill. We enjoyed the free time in all locations to explore and meet the citizens, sample local fare and sit at a cafe and people watch. The other people on our tour were wonderful to be with. We enjoyed this so much that we plan on returning to these countries in the future.
The hotels were listed as four star, but that must be a version of European four star. I wouldn't book again simply because of the size of the group. Too many people.
The trip was just wonderful, very well organized and professionally conducted. Everything was great and above our expectations!!!
Outstanding experience with Gate 1 trip to Portugal and Spain.
The hotels in all places we visited were exceptionally great, with good locations. The bus was comfortable, and bus driver was very professional . Breakfast on the hotels were delicious . One dinner was in Italian restaurant , was so-so. It would be better to eat local Spanish food, in Spanish restaurant . All local travel guides had great deal of knowledge about towns they tour us. The best was our tour director Kind, caring, smart , knowledgeable person. She was taking care of all our needs and problems. She was amazing. We already missing her.
Our tour guide was excellent. He was very friendly, informative and was able to accommodate everyone's needs.
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We had a great trip. But the heat was awful