Spain & Portugal Christmas tour - 9 Days

Welcome to Madrid and the start of your Spain and Portugal Christmas tour! Arrive this morning and make your way to the hotel to meet up with your tour leader and fellow travellers. Once the group is gathered, it’s time to explore Madrid in all its festive glory with a local guide! This evening, sit down for an included welcome dinner. Enjoy your first taste of Spain and get to know your fellow explorers! Today marks the official start of Christmas celebrations in Spain. Today is the day that the Spanish Christmas Lottery, ‘El Gordo’ or the ‘Fat One’, takes place. It’s the biggest lottery draw in the world!

Travel south to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Toledo. Known to be Spain's spiritual capital, the Gothic architecture and beautiful cathedral will leave you speechless. We then drive on to the Moorish city of Granada. Your tour leader will take you on an orientation tour to see the most famous sites and learn more about it’s Moorish influences, including a view across the valley of the iconic Alhambra citadel.

Travel through Andalusia and its beautiful landscapes. If you've heard of Flamenco, matadors and bullfighting - this is what the region is famous for. First we stop in Ronda, one of the oldest cities in Spain! Take in views of the famous ‘Puente Nuevo’ bridge and stunning scenery of the surrounding countryside. We then make our way to Seville - the city of siestas, tapas and some of Europe's most amazing fiestas. End the day exploring the old town accompanied by an expert local guide. Seville is known as the home of tapas, small plates of hot and cold dishes, and this evening we will enjoy a selection of them at our included dinner.

Merry Christmas or “Feliz Navidad” as the locals say! You have a free day to explore Seville in all its festive glory. As it’s Christmas day, look out for Spanish Christmas bread, Roscón de Reyes. It's topped with crushed almonds and candied fruit! You’re bound to also see Tió de Nadal, a jolly Christmas log decorated with a smiley face and stick legs. We can highly recommend the Seville cathedral and the Plaza de España.

It’s boxing day and we’re crossing the border into Portugal and heading for Lisbon, the capital! En route you will see the incredible landscapes of southern Portugal glide past, and we’ll make a stop on the south coast, where you’ll have free time to have lunch, explore the local town or relax on the beach. On arrival in Lisbon your Expat Explore tour leader will take you on a driving tour of the city. You will get to see the Tagus river and some of the most famous attractions in the city, such as the Belém Tower and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument.

Discover Lisbon at your leisure today! Highlights include the Monument to the Discoveries, Belém Tower or the hilltop district of Bairro Alto. The streets are lined with dozens of restaurants and bars! Listen out for Fado music streaming from open windows. The music is known for its lyrics of longing. And if you want to do some Christmas souvenir shopping for your friends and family back home), head to A Vida Portuguesa. Definitely try some Pasteis de nata, delicious Portuguese egg tarts, as you go. Or consider the option of a day trip to Sintra, the town of mountains, palaces, parks and medieval residences.

On our way to Porto this morning we’ll stop off in Obidos, a classic fortified town with narrow cobbled streets, picturesque houses and an imposing hilltop castle. We then carry on to Portugal's second-biggest city, Porto. Once you arrive, an expert local guide will take us on a driving and walking tour to see sights including the Cathedral, Sao Bento train station, Clerigos Tower, the Luis I bridge and many more. Later this afternoon we’ll sit down for a quintessential Portuguese experience and one of its most famous exports: a tasting of Port wine.

This morning we make one more stop in Portugal before we arrive back in Spain. Guarda was founded in the 12th Century by King Sancho I, and much of the fortified towers and defensive walls he built survive to this day. This afternoon we’ll arrive in Salamanca. After some time to freshen up at the hotel your tour leader will take you an on orientation tour of Spain’s Golden City. You’ll have some free time to explore the historic city centre before we meet up again for a farewell dinner on our last night of the tour, offering three courses of delicious food from around the province of Salamanca.

It’s the last day of your Spain & Portugal Christmas holiday! The final stretch of the tour takes us from Salamanca to Avila and then on to Madrid. The ancient town of Avila is most known for its century-old city walls that have been remarkably well-preserved. It's also home to some spectacular Romanesque churches, monasteries and palaces. We then continue back to Madrid where the tour concludes this afternoon. Arrive in Madrid and say farewell to the group as the tour officially comes to an end. Make use of the complimentary airport shuttle service if you fly home today. Be sure to swap contact details and memories with your newly-made travel friends before we all say goodbye!