Compare Spain and Portugal by Tauck vs The Sound and City of Granada by Iberian Escapes

Day 1: Your Spain & Portugal tour begins in Lisbon

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Tour begins: 2:00 pm, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, Portugal. A transfer is included from Lisboa Airport to your hotel, the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. The afternoon's guided sightseeing tour in Lisbon provides an introduction to this intriguing city and its most famous landmarks. Visit the famous monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the National Coach Museum, and view the nearby Tower of Belém, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the mid-16th century; and see the Discoveries Monument commemorating Portugal's "Age of Exploration" of the 15th and 16th centuries. Meet your traveling companions this evening at a welcome reception and dinner.

Day 2: Along the Portuguese Riviera to Sintra & Cascais

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

An excursion from Lisbon today takes you to Sintra – once a favored summer retreat for Portugal's monarchs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – for a visit to the 14th-century Royal Palace of Sintra, a highlight of every Portugal tour, and time to explore on your own. Continue to the fishing village of Cascais, its bay dotted with brightly colored boats, before returning to Lisbon to spend the rest of the day and evening as you please.

Day 3: A mix of Roman, Moorish & church architecture in medieval Evora

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Convento do Espinheiro

Cross Europe's longest suspension bridge – the Vasco da Gama Bridge over the Tagus River – en route to the medieval, walled city of Evora, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A city tour with your local guide reveals how Evora's Roman ruins, Moorish arcades, and a score of churches and monasteries create a fascinating cultural tapestry; see the Capela dos Ossos in the 15th-century Church of São Francisco, and the Cathedral of St. Mary. Spend this night of your Portugal tour at a 15th-century convent-turned-luxury hotel and spa in a picturesque location in Evora.

Day 4: On to storied Andalucía & Seville in Spain

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Alfonso XIII

As your Portugal tour concludes, your exploration of Spain heats up! Spain's famous southern province of Andalucía is as famous for gypsies and flamenco dancing as it is for its seaside resorts and small, whitewashed villages; see the Roman ruins of Mérida, some of the best-preserved in Europe, on a guided visit. The provincial capital of Seville blends the vibrant Spain of today with centuries of history and old-world charm. Spend the next two nights in the heart of the city at one of Europe's most luxurious hotels, commissioned by the king of Spain for the famous Exposition of 1929.

Day 5: A carriage ride, a historic cathedral & more in Seville

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Alfonso XIII

After taking in many of Seville's historic and cultural attractions on a sightseeing tour with your local guide, ride a horse-drawn carriage through the city's historic heart. Visit Seville's impressive Gothic cathedral, one of the world's most beautiful; see its renowned Giralda bell tower (once the minaret of a mosque during Seville's Moorish days), and the tomb of explorer Christopher Columbus. Enjoy a walking tour of fascinating Barrio de Santa Cruz, the city's Jewish Quarter, prior to exploring Seville as you wish for the remainder of the day, with lunch and dinner on your own.

Day 6: Jerez de la Frontera, Gibraltar & coastal Marbella

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Gran Meliá Don Pepe

Depart Seville for Jerez de la Frontera, known for its fine horses, sweet wines, and sherry (whose name is derived from the town's). Visit the palatial Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Ecuestre (Royal Andalucían School of Equestrian Art) – where you may watch the famous Andalucían horses that are bred here in a training session – and its renowned Carriage Museum (subject to availability due to holidays or other closures; alternative sightseeing may include a visit to the Royal Alcázar of Seville). Enjoy a true taste of the region during a tapas lunch at a sherry bodega; then it's on to Gibraltar, where you'll view the fabled Rock (weather permitting) and see the famed Barbary Macaques in the Apes' Den. Your final destination today is the glamorous coastal resort town of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, for a two-night stay.

Day 7: A day by the beautiful sea in Marbella

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Gran Meliá Don Pepe

The entire day is yours to enjoy the pleasures of your elegant resort hotel, Grand Meliá Don Pepe, a paradise for the senses in the heart of the Costa del Sol. On one side is the famous Port of Marbella; on the other, gleaming white boats anchored at the exclusive Puerto Banús. And on the horizon, you can see Gibraltar and the North African coast, majestic in the distance, against the magnificent backdrop of the mountain peak La Concha de Marbella. Long a favorite of celebrities in Marbella's privileged enclave of Sierra Blanca, the resort's guest list has included Sean Connery, Julio Iglesias, Prince, Maximillian Schell, Arthur Rubinstein, Begun Aga Khan, Alain Delon, H.R.M. Prince Edward, Bob Hope and many more... and you, spending a perfect day as you please.

Day 8: Moorish influences in Ronda & flamenco in Granada

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Alhambra Palace

As your Spain and Portugal tour continues, journey from the Spanish coast into the mountains to visit scenic Ronda, perched on a cliff overlooking the spectacular El Tajo gorge. Ronda is synonymous with the evolution of the art of bullfighting; along with revealing the town's Moorish heritage and remains, a guided walking tour includes a visit to one of Spain's oldest bullrings, the Plaza de Toros. Continue on to Granada, situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. The city boasts extraordinary architecture from over 250 years as the capital of a Moorish kingdom; your hotel is steps away from Granada's celebrated Moorish palace, the Alhambra. Enjoy a private flamenco show tonight, followed by dinner at your hotel.

Day 9: Discovering the treasures of the Alhambra in Granada

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Alhambra Palace

A highlight of your Spain and Portugal tour is today's guided visit to Granada's famed Moorish palace, the Alhambra, constructed to be a "paradise on Earth" by caliphs who ruled here in the 13th century. Tour the palace itself, considered to be one of the world's most beautiful, and stroll through the Generalife, the grounds of the summer palace of former sultans. Enjoy free time to explore on your own and join us for an à la carte dinner at a popular local restaurant this evening.

Day 10: Córdoba, home to La Mezquita & more

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hesperia Córdoba

Travel from Granada to Córdoba today for an overnight stay that begins with a guided walking tour through the cobblestone streets of the Judería, Córdoba's former Jewish Quarter; from its alleyways, you can see the walls and decorative details of the candy-striped La Mezquita (Spanish for "mosque.") Your visit to this masterpiece of architecture and art reveals its nearly 1,200-year history as an early Christian church, a Moorish mosque, and, since the 16th century, a Roman Catholic cathedral. Dine family-style tonight for a taste of local life.

Day 11: AVE train to Madrid, Spain's capital city

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: The Westin Palace, Madrid

Board the AVE train in Preferente class for a rail journey to Spain's amazing capital city. Arrive in Madrid for three nights at The Westin Palace, Madrid – a Belle Époque landmark in the heart of the city, a short walk from the tapas bars that American novelist Ernest Hemingway made famous. Join a local guide for an orientation tour of landmark sights that includes a walking tour of the city's vast Plaza Mayor and the Mercado San Miguel; after lunch, enjoy a guided visit to the Royal Palace. Dinner is on your own in Madrid tonight.

Day 12: The Prado & more museums of Madrid

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: The Westin Palace, Madrid

View the art treasures of the celebrated Museo del Prado, one of the best-known museums on Earth, with a local expert. The rest of the day is free to spend as you please in one of the world's most popular cities. Tauck includes admission to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum; view works by Titian, Goya and Picasso at your leisure.

Day 13: A day trip to Toledo and a special farewell evening in Madrid

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: The Westin Palace, Madrid

A full-day excursion from Madrid to Toledo today features guided sightseeing of this monument-filled city. Join your local guide for a walking tour that includes the 12th-century Synagogue Santa Maria La Blanca, the Church of Santo Tome and a visit inside the 13th-century High Gothic-style Cathedral of St. Mary of Toledo. After lunch in Toledo, return to Madrid, where a farewell evening featuring dinner and Castilian entertainment awaits!

Day 14: Journey home

Meals: Breakfast

Tauck's Spain and Portugal tour ends: Madrid, Spain. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Westin Palace, Madrid to Madrid Barajas Airport or Madrid Atocha train station. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.

Day 1: Airport Pick Up + Hotel Check In

Welcome to a city of fascinating history and beauty - Granada - one of Spain's most cherished treasures known as the "Moorish jewel." Situated in the southeastern part of beautiful Andalucía, Granada comprises an important pillar of Spain's most folkloric region.

Hotel Alhambra Palace

Welcome to the most wonderful hotel in Granada - The 5-star Hotel Alhambra Palace. The oldest five-star hotel in Spain, with its 109 years of history, we can assure you will be transported to a world of unique art. Luxury from the moment you step into the reception of this breathtaking building. Here, at your Classic Bedroom - with a room overlooking the lovely Alhambra Gardens and Granada town, you'll have an experience of a lifetime, with a promise you'll be treated like royalty (quite in the literal sense of the word). The Spanish royals such as King Alfonso XIII,  King Juan Carlos I, Queen Sofia, and the new King Felipe VI de Bourbon have stayed at the Hotel Alhambra Palace. Additionally, the kings of Belgium, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, the Princes of Persia and Iran, the Duke of Windsor & the Prince of Wales among many others. And just to feed the most curious, other personalities such as the Dalai Lama, John D Rockefeller, and Stephen Hawking have also stayed.

Overnight: Granada

Day 2: One and Only Alhambra and Nasrid Palace Guided Tour

Meals included: Breakfast

During today, you will visit one of the most important monuments of the Nasrid Empire in the Iberian Peninsula, the Alhambra in Granada. Known as "The Jewel of Muslim origin" and one of the 'new' seven wonders of the modern world. It is listed as one of the most beautiful places on the planet and is the biggest tourist attraction in Spain. Its huge gardens and its different rooms reflect the legacy of the different religions and cultures that passed through Granada. This tour, inside the Alhambra, will be chaired by an official Tour Guide who will accompany visitors during the four hours of the visit. The Palace of Carlos V, the Fountain of the Lions, the Generalife Gardens and the impressive Nasrid Palaces are some of the jewels that compliment this architectural marvel and that will surly fulfill all your expectations!

Overnight: Granada

Day 3: Albayzin and Sacromonte Guided Walking Tour

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

In the Morning:  You'll discover two of Granada’s most atmospheric quarters on a 2.5-hour walking tour of Albayzín and Sacromonte. Throughout the morning, you'll be exploring the cobblestoned lanes of Albayzín, the medieval Moorish quarter, and view its whitewashed houses, patios, fountains, and churches as your guide shares its history. Admire the views of the Alhambra Palace from the top of the hill, and delve into the neighbouring gypsy enclave of Sacromonte, famous for its traditional cave houses, flamenco dancing and handicrafts heritage.

Spanish Traditional Gastronomic 3-Course-Dining + Live Flamenco Show Experience

In the Evening: We have reserved a unique, one-of-a-kind experience inviting you to a traditional Gastronomic 3 Course Dining experience whilst being transported to a world of bright polka-dot dresses, clacking heels, and heart-stirring music in one of Granada's myriad of flamenco show venues. Since flamenco started in Andalucía it's become one of the most genuine manifestations of this unique form of art, which we can guarantee you'll feel welcomed into a intimate performance, right in the heart of the caves of Sacromonte.

Overnight: Granada

Day 4: Departure

Meals included: Breakfast

Today you are scheduled to be checking out of your hotel. Depending on your availability, feel free to explore and discover a little more of what Granada has to offer. Either going for a lovely walk downtown or simply spending your day relaxing by the town's square with a lovely glass of Andalusian Wine, enjoying the sunshine. Or, if you'd like any further experiences or tours, feel free to contact your Concierge - Iberian Escapes - we happy to assist at any time.  Since it's time to say goodbye - We believe you are now richer in experiences and emotions and have, hopefully, made unforgettable memories for the rest of your life. Promise yourself “I’ll be back” – as we will be waiting for you for your next adventure around the Iberian Peninsula.