Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Classic Group, 2021
Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Classic Group, 2021
Treasures of Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Classic Group, 2021
17 Days Starting and ending in Madrid
Visiting: Madrid, Salamanca, Lisbon, Seville, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fes, Melia Costa del Sol, Granada
Tour operator:
Tour code:
E942A16
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Please contact Insight Vacations with any specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
A kaleidoscopic adventure that takes you from some of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities, to an exotic and vivid land of medinas and minarets.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Madrid
Location: Madrid
Accommodation: Hotel Riu Plaza De Espana, Madrid.
Meals Included: Dinner with Wine
Your transfer will depart Madrid airport at 09:00, 11:30, 13:30 or 16:00.Join your Travel Director at 18:00 for a Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travellers over a beautiful evening of delicious food and wine.(Dinner with Wine)
Day 2: Prado Museum And On To Golden Salamanca
Location: Madrid, Salamanca
Accommodation: Hotel Alameda Palace, Salamanca.
Meals Included: Breakfast
With your Local Expert, travel along the main historical areas of the capital of Spain, known as Madrid of the Bourbons. Your drive continues through the Old Quarter, to discover the origins of the city. A sure highlight is when you join an art historian to explore the Prado Museum, a magnificent palace housing works by Velazquez, Goya, Rubens and other masters. Journey past the walls of Ávila en route to Salamanca, with its honey-coloured cathedral and 16th century university buildings.(Breakfast)
Day 3: Holy Fátima And Lisbon
Location: Salamanca, Lisbon
Accommodation: Dom Pedro Lisboa, Lisbon.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cross the Portuguese frontier and skirt the Estrela Mountains en route to Fátima, Portugal’s most renowned religious site.Join the pilgrims flocking into the great basilica, commemorating the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary to three young shepherds in 1917. In the heart of the Shrine of Fatima is The Chapel of Apparitions, marking the exact location of her first appearance. Other sacred sites include the Museu de Arte Sacra e Etnologia, exhibiting religious artifacts and the modern church of the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity. Your travels continue to Lisbon.(Breakfast)
Day 4: Lisbon And The Age Of The Great Discoveries
Location: Lisbon
Accommodation: Dom Pedro Lisboa, Lisbon.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your guided sightseeing with a Local Expert takes you along the spacious avenues of the Lower Town and across the tree-shaded squares. Pass beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paço, the finest square in the city, named after the palace that was destroyed in the terrible earthquake of 1755, along with much of the rest of the city. Visit the Belém Quarter from where sailing ships once set forth to discover unknown lands. Enjoy a taste of Pastéis de Belém from the patisserie that has been using the same secret recipe for almost 200 years. See the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the more ancient Belém Tower, erected to protect Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which you visit. This afternoon is free to explore further as you wish or perhaps decide to visit Sintra?(Breakfast)
Day 5: To Seville, The City Of Carmen
Location: Lisbon, Seville
Accommodation: Ayre Hotel Sevilla, Seville.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Explore Seville with Insight Choice. Choose to visit Seville's Cathedral, the final resting place of Christopher Colombus, and see La Giralda, the former minaret of the Great Mosque, which now is the bell tower of the cathedral. Continue your exploration in the old Jewish Quarter. Alternatively, join a scenic drive around the city and a short walk through the narrow lanes of Santa Cruz Quarter, to enjoy a refreshing beverage.(Breakfast)
Day 6: Free Time And Flamenco In Seville
Location: Seville
Accommodation: Ayre Hotel Sevilla, Seville.
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning is yours to completely relax or continue exploring this fascinating city. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to Córdoba and visit the magnificent Mezquita, an 8th century mosque with a Christian cathedral built inside it? Later, visit the Cristina Heeren Foundation, a beneficiary of a TreadRight Foundation grant. This private dance school is dedicated to promoting the conservation of flamenco and supports young enthusiasts from all over the world with a special focus on new talent from the Andalusian region. Feel the passion behind the choreography as you put your rhythm to the test during a dance lesson before witnessing emotions come to life in a flamenco performance. With some free time for dinner, wander the restaurants in Triana or try the local night market Lonja Del Barranco, selling tapas made from fresh, local produce. Why not grab yourself a refreshing sangria for a cheers to your new found dancing feet?(Breakfast)
Day 7: The Straits Of Gibraltar To Tangier
Location: Seville, Tangier
Accommodation: Grand Hotel Villa de France by BlueBay, Tangier.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Continue on to Gibraltar, an overseas territory under British control since 1704.Meet your Local Expert for a guided tour of the Rock of Gibraltar, St. Michael’s Cave and see the Barbary Apes, legendary guardians of the colony. Set sail across the Straits of Gibraltar to reach Morocco — a land of musky spices and colourful souks. Your travels continue to Tangier. Your Local Expert will show you the sights of Morocco's great port. See the Sultan's Palace and visit the Casbah.(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 8: Rabat And Casablanca
Location: Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca
Accommodation: Grand Mogador City Center, Casablanca.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Journey to Rabat and see the Royal Palace and Hassan Tower with your Local Expert.Continue to the west coast of Africa to reach Casablanca.Discover if Humphrey Bogart really did say 'Play it again Sam' during sightseeing with your Local Expert. You will also see the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in the country. During your free time this evening, perhaps head to the Corniche, Casablanca's chic seaside strip, for your choice of trendy restaurants and cafés?(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 9: Marrakesh, Pearl Of The South
Location: Marrakesh
Accommodation: Kenzi Rose Garden, Marrakesh.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Journey to Marrakesh and meet your Local Expert in the bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, where you can take a moment to watch the dancers, storytellers and acrobats. Explore the Medina and see the Koutoubia Mosque, with its minaret dominating the Marrakesh skyline.Visit the intricately decorated Palais Bahia, intended to be the greatest palace of its time, when it was built in the late 19th century.With time at leisure, you are free to continue exploring, try your hand at haggling in the souks or maybe visit a museum? In the evening, perhaps choose to join us at a vibrant restaurant on Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, where you will enjoy a slew of classic Moroccan dishes as you absorb the ambience and watch twirling belly dancers balance plates of lit candles on their heads.(Breakfast)
Day 10: Explore Marrakesh
Location: Marrakesh
Accommodation: Kenzi Rose Garden, Marrakesh.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today is yours to explore Marrakesh at leisure.(Breakfast)
Day 11: The Ancient Imperial City Of Fes
Location: Fes
Accommodation: Marriott Jnan Palace (Pool View rooms), Fes.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Journey to the vibrant city of Fes.Your Local Expert will guide you through the ancient Medina. Explore this walled city of hidden courtyards, mosques and workshops. Walk through the souks and pass one of the world’s oldest universities.Learn about the ancient craft of carpet making and gain an insight into the motifs and colours used in the designs. This afternoon you are at leisure to relax in your hotel and enjoy views from your room of the Medina.(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 12: Free Time In Fes
Location: Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier
Accommodation: Marriott Jnan Palace (Pool View rooms), Fes.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a relaxed start and day at leisure.Perhaps unwind at your hotel and cool off with a dip in the pool, or continue to explore Morocco's most ancient imperial city.(Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 13: On To The Costa Del Sol
Location: Tangier, Melia Costa del Sol
Accommodation: Meliá Costa del Sol, Torremolinos.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Leave Morocco and cross back over to Spain. Your travels continue through Andalucia and on to the Costa del Sol, famous for its beaches.(Breakfast)
Day 14: At Leisure On The Costa Del Sol
Location: Tangier, Melia Costa del Sol
Accommodation: Meliá Costa del Sol, Torremolinos.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Enjoy the day at leisure on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol. Relax by the blue Mediterranean waters, stroll along the promenade, savour the specialities in the local restaurants, or consider exploring Malaga, the birth city of Picasso.(Breakfast)
Day 15: Dining With Locals And The Alhambra Palace
Location: Granada
Accommodation: Meliá Granada.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Continue to Alfarnatejo, a quiet white washed village with a population of just 500 people, surrounded by stunning mountainous landscape.Walk the town centre to see the 18th century Iglesia del Santo Cristo de Cabrilla.Travel to the oldest olive grove in the region and stop at the rural mill-factory of Alfarnatejo to taste a selection of different oils with locally made farmer bread.In small groups, you are invited into the home of a local family to join them for a delicious Highlight Lunch made of fresh, local produce with flavours typical of the region.Continue to Granada, where overlooking the town stands one of the most remarkable fortresses ever built, the Alhambra. Led by your Local Expert, explore this exquisite palace built as a citadel by the Moors in the 13th century - a fantasy of arabesque gardens, fountains and stone cut like lace. Stroll through the elegant, exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence.(Breakfast / Lunch with Wine)
Day 16: To Madrid In Search Of Don Quixote
Location: Granada, Madrid
Accommodation: Hotel Riu Plaza De Espana, Madrid.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Your journey continues to the north, through countryside immortalised by Cervantes fictional hero, Don Quixote.On return to Madrid, toast your travels with your newfound friends during a lively Celebration Dinner of delicious food and wine at a local restaurant.(Breakfast / Dinner with Wine)
Day 17: Farewell Madrid
Location: Madrid
Meals Included: Breakfast
Bid farewell to your Iberian adventures. After breakfast, transfers arrive at Madrid airport at 07:00, 09:00 and 11:00.(Breakfast)
What's Included
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Our highly-skilled Travel Director will ensure your journey is seamless, serving as your expert guide, consummate organiser, and friend overseas
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Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
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Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary
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We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
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Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency
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We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels
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Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available)
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From time to time, your Travel Director will enchant you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination
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If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times
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If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport
Check out our Q&As
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
We regret that no refunds can be made for absences from a tour, including experiences such as missed meals or sightseeing.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1978.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Insight Vacations is a founding member of the TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative created by the brands within The Travel Corporation (TTC) almost 15 years ago to ensure our impact through tourism is positive. Our ethos to #MakeTravelMatter guides our decision-making at every level of our business.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
You have two options as a solo traveller. Either choose to be matched with a same sex partner for a room share - at no extra cost. Or choose a room of your own with a reduced or even free private room upgrade on select tours.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
Reviews of this Operator
Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Insight Vacations requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of insight vacations charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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