Essential Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Italy

Welcome to Portugal! Upon arrival in Lisbon, you will be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. After check-in, spend some leisure time exploring the city at your own pace or unwind in your hotel.

Overnight in Lisbon

Note: Kindly check the information posters in the hotel reception area. These include all the details regarding your tour, such as the meeting time and place, along with the guide's name.

In the morning, you will embark on a sightseeing tour of Lisbon after your breakfast. Accompanied by a local guide, you will discover the traditional neighborhoods of the Belem district, the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed across the oceans in the 15th century. You will see various monuments and architectural structures in the city, such as the Belem Tower and the beautiful Jerónimos Monastery, a World Heritage Site dubbed by UNESCO. Spend the afternoon at leisure to explore this incredible city at your own pace. At the end of the afternoon, you will be transferred to Restauradores Square, known for its incredible bars and cafes, from where you may take the “Elevador da Gloria,” which will bring you to the Upper District and its viewpoint.

Overnight in Lisbon

Enjoy your breakfast before traveling to Northern Portugal. Visit Fatima, an important sanctuary and pilgrimage site. Make your way through the green lands of the center as you cross the border into Spain. Lunch will be included en route in a regional restaurant (vegetarian options included). From there you will travel to Madrid, the capital of Spain, where you will arrive at the end of the day. You will be provided transportation to Plaza Mayor, where you will have plenty of choices to taste wine in typical taverns (not included).

Overnight in Madrid

Your day will start early with a comprehensive tour through the center of Madrid. Get ready to see incredible sites including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón, and Plaza Mayor. You will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the center of the city, to see the beautiful lake and Glass Palace.
Admission to Las Ventas Bullring will be included. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where you will learn about the tradition of “corridas” in the Bullfighting Museum. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. At sunset, you will be transferred to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving various cuisines. Choose from Indian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Spanish, and international options. After a pleasant dinner (not included), a transfer to the hotel will be provided.

Overnight in Madrid

After breakfast, you will leave Madrid and head towards Aragón. Enjoy a special stop in Zaragoza, where a guide will accompany the group to the Basílica del Pilar. From there you will have free time to visit this incredible sanctuary and explore the city center. Later, you will go to Catalonia to visit the Poblet Monastery, surrounded by medieval walls. This is one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world (entry and guided tour included). Afterward, you will continue towards the Monastery of Montserrat, where you will head on a ride on the rack train (included) to see the breathtaking views of Catalonia. Continue your journey to Barcelona, where you will arrive in the late afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at leisure to explore this beautiful city at your own pace.

Note: In some cases, depending on the timetable of the rack railway, the ascent to Montserrat can be done in our coach. From November to March, due to the shorter duration of the days, we will neither be ascending nor stopping in Montserrat.

Overnight in Barcelona

Wake up early for an incredible city tour that will cover numerous tourist attractions across Barcelona. Your tour will take you to La Rambla – a vibrant street in Central Barcelona that connects Placa de Catalunya with the Monument of Christopher Columbus. See the famous works of Gaudi; a famous and highly respected Spanish architect known for his unique style of architecture. You can see his famous masterworks including Sagrada Familia Cathedral and La Pedrera along Passeig de Gracia. You will be transferred to Girona, a small Catalan capital with a very beautiful historic center. In this city, the cathedral stands out with its incredible staircase. Spend the rest of the evening exploring the city at your own pace.

Overnight in Girona

Post breakfast, you leave for France, crossing Provence. We stop in ARLES, a small world heritage city where we will remember Van Gogh and can see its Roman theatre and small Romanesque churches. Time for a stroll and lunch. We carry on and include admission to Carrieres De Lumiere, an impressive show of art, image and sound underground, in former quarries. Chambery, arrival and accommodation in the charming capital of Savoie, a medieval city with a beautiful old town and a great castle.

Overnight in Chambery

Enjoy your breakfast, you travel to Switzerland. Geneva, arrival. With our guide, we will go to the Palace of Nations (the headquarters of the United Nations in Europe) to the pretty English Garden with its clock made of flowers and we can admire the “Jet d´Eau”, the tallest fountain in Europe. We go on to the picturesque walled village of Barcelona/Spain Fatima/Portugal Gruyere, known worldwide for its cheese. Free time to stroll and have lunch. Nearby are sever - al of the main chocolate factories in Switzerland (Nestle amongst them), and we visit the Cailler chocolate factory, with a tasting included. After this, we go on to Chillon Castle, built in the waters of the lake. Entrance included to this fantastic medieval castle. We will continue traveling through smaller roads amidst bucolic mountain landscapes and very picturesque wooden villages. - Arrival in Leysin, a beautiful little holiday village with spectacular views of the Rhône plain and Mont Blanc, known for its winter sports resort or its hiking possibilities. Dinner included.

Overnight in Leysin

Today´s stage has beautiful high mountain scenery. Don´t forget your winter clothes, we climb to one of the most spectacular spots in Switzerland where you can see ice and snow all year round. We include the cable car ride up to Glacier 3000 where you can walk on the suspended bridge in the gap between two mountain peaks, enter the Ice Cathedral or “play” in the Fun Park. Stop in IN - Terlaken and time for lunch. Among very picturesque lakes we continue to Lucerne, one of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland. Continue to Zurich, where there is time for a stroll downtown before going to the hotel.

Overnight in Zurich

After breakfast, you will leave Zurich early in the morning and cut across the Alps in order to reach the Italian-speaking - ing part of Switzerland. Alongside the route, we will get to see beautiful lakes and snow-capped mountains. Lugano. Arrival in the cosmopolitan capital of Italian Switzerland built next to its beautiful lake. Time to have a stroll and grab lunch. Next, we will reach the enchanting little town of Morcote famous for its flowery stone houses. We will then travel to Italy. Arrival in MI - LAN where the guide will take us to the impressive Duomo Square. Here you will find a variety of local and international restaurants to have dinner at. Transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Milan

In the morning you will leave Milan and drive towards the Eternal City of Rome, after your breakfast. En route, enjoy a stop in Pisa, where you will take a train to see the famous Leaning Tower. This monument is the campanile (freestanding bell tower) of the cathedral in Pisa. It is well known for its almost four-degree lean which results from an unstable foundation. The tower is situated behind the Pisa Cathedral and is the third-oldest structure in the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), after the cathedral and the Pisa Baptistry. From there you will explore the Ligurian Coast, where some of the prettiest coastlines in Europe lie. Finally, your journey will take you to Rome, where you will arrive in the evening.

Overnight in Rome

After breakfast, In the morning, we have a scenic tour, which will be a great introduction to “The Eternal City”. We will visit the tiny state of the Vatican, the epicenter of Christianity in the world. You will be able to visit St. Peters Basilica. We include the entrance to the Imperial Forums, an impressive architectural complex formed by monumental buildings and squares, the center of the political activity of Imperial Rome. At the end of the evening, we arrange a transfer to the Trastevere area for a stroll in the narrow cobbled streets of the district with hidden treasures, such as some modest medieval churches, small shops with the most peculiar of objects or scenes of daily life. Many trattorias (informal Italian eating establishments) and osterias (inns) imbued with the Italian spirit will be ready to serve you local dishes. Other restaurants serving Indian, Chinese and international food can be found in this area. Return to hotel.

Overnight in Rome

After a delicious breakfast, make your own way to Rome International Airport for your flight back home.