• 1 Dinner (D)
• 17 Breakfast (B)

• Barcelona: Enjoy an included dinner at Mescladis – a non-profit that’s all about social cohesion, doing their bit to enrich coexistence, with rights and opportunities for all.
• Valencia: Explore Valencia’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, a striking complex of bold architecture, open spaces, and reflective pools. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, it’s home to science exhibits, an opera house, and Europe’s largest aquarium — and yes, the photo ops are epic.
• Toledo: This medieval city is a cultural melting pot, with a mix of Spanish, Arabic and Jewish influences. Get some pics of the Alcázar Fortress and the gothic Cathedral. 
• Granada: Probably the most Instagrammable palace that’s ever existed. Tour this Moorish marvel with an expert. 
• Lisbon: Get to grips with Portugal’s coastal capital. See all the sights, including Castelo de São Jorge, the Praca do Comércio, Rossio Sqaure and Praca da Figueira. 
• Lisbon: Take an orientation in Lisbon’s ‘museum district’. See the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and the best places to taste a pastel de nata.  
• Bilbao: Home to world famous art museums and architecture that’s grander than grand. Today you’ll have plenty of time to explore Bilbao, taking in the mountains and the skyscrapers.
• San Sebastián: Where better to admire the sunset than on the beautiful beaches of San Sebastián? This resort town is known for its fantastic food too – so make sure you’re hungry!

Join a hands-on paella-making class to master the balance of bomba rice and saffron, vegetables, and meats—or seafood, Valencia-style. Learn to coax the prized crispy socarrat as your pan hisses over the flame.

Cook alongside a local chef and cook and dine together, pairing your creation with regional wine. This optional culinary workshop is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Experience a traditional flamenco performance in an intimate tablao, where guitar and soulful cante jondo drive the dancer’s stamping footwork and palmas. The room crackles with rhythm and emotion.

Raise a glass of sangria as the final heel taps fade and the claps soften. This optional evening of Andalusian artistry is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Share a dinner with locals in a welcoming Sevillian setting, tasting home-style Andalusian dishes like salmorejo, marinated olives, and slow-cooked ibérico pork.

Stories flow as shared table conversation opens a window onto daily life, festivals, and family recipes in a lively Seville neighborhood. This cultural dining experience is optional, at additional cost, and bookable on tour.

Contiki

Sit down to enjoy an included dinner at Mescladís, a Barcelona non-profit where great food funds training and opportunity. Savor seasonal Catalan flavors—think rustic stews, market-fresh salads, and pa amb tomàquet—served in a laid-back space that champions community.

Hear how this social inclusion project supports migrants and locals into hospitality careers while you toast your first night in Spain. It’s a soulful introduction to Barcelona’s creative spirit and a feel-good way to meet your fellow travelers over shared plates.

Explore the City of Arts and Sciences, a futuristic complex of white curves and water gardens designed by Santiago Calatrava. Wander past the Hemisfèric, Umbracle, and Palau de les Arts, pausing at mirrored pools that reflect Valencia’s endless skies.

Gain insight into this 21st-century landmark—home to science exhibits, an opera house, and Europe’s largest aquarium. The contrast of sleek architecture and Mediterranean light makes powerful photo moments among the reflective pools and gleaming forms.

Join an orientation walk through Valencia’s Old Town to see the ornate Plaza del Ayuntamiento, gilded domes, and the bustling Mercado Central. Trace medieval lanes to the Silk Exchange, La Lonja de la Seda, a UNESCO-listed Gothic gem.

Hear how merchant wealth shaped the city’s plazas and medieval walls, then spot Roman and Moorish echoes in facades and towers. It’s a concise primer that helps you navigate Valencia’s blend of tradition and innovation.

Get your bearings in Madrid as you stroll the grand boulevards and baroque squares at the city’s heart. See the clock at Puerta del Sol, arcaded Plaza Mayor, and the theater-lit sweep of Gran Vía.

Uncover “Austrian” Madrid’s Habsburg heritage in elegant facades and lively tapas lanes. This compact orientation layers history with local tips, making it easy to dive into museums, cafés, and neighborhoods with confidence.

Visit the hilltop fortress-city of Toledo, ringed by the Tagus and famed for its blend of Christian, Jewish, and Islamic heritage. Pause for photos of the mighty Alcázar Fortress before threading into tangled medieval lanes.

Admire the soaring Gothic of the Toledo Cathedral and hear of El Greco’s legacy in this former capital. Stone arches, artisan workshops, and city-wide views reveal why Toledo is a timeless Spanish icon.

Tour the Alhambra, the Nasrid citadel where Moorish artistry reaches poetic heights. Step through filigreed arches to the Nasrid Palaces, tracing arabesque stucco, cedar ceilings, and mirror-like courtyards.

Wander the Generalife gardens, where rills and cypresses frame Sierra Nevada views. Your expert guide unlocks dynastic stories, geometry, and water symbolism that make this UNESCO site Spain’s most spellbinding palace complex.

Get to grips with Lisbon as you sweep from Alfama’s hills to Baixa’s grid. Survey ramparts of Castelo de São Jorge, then cross to the riverfront Praca do Comércio and the patterned stones of Rossio.

Hear how earthquakes, empire, and azulejo craft shaped the city’s neighborhoods. Tram lines, tiled facades, and café terraces set the mood for deeper wandering through Lisbon’s atmospheric core.

Take an orientation in Belém, Lisbon’s “museum district” tied to the Age of Discoveries. View the lace-like cloisters of Jerónimos Monastery and the river-watch silhouette of the Belém Tower.

Learn how voyages to Africa, India, and Brazil funded Manueline stonework and map-filled monuments. Your guide points out the best spots to try a pastel de nata, hot from the oven, before you continue exploring at your own pace.

Stroll a compact orientation through golden-stone Salamanca. Step into the theatrical sweep of Plaza Mayor, then trace scholarly lanes studded with Plateresque carvings and college crests.

Spot the shell-studded Casa de las Conchas and the storied facades of the University of Salamanca, one of Europe’s oldest. It’s a graceful primer to Spain’s great university city and its café-lined arcades.

Walk the heart of Pamplona to the elegant Plaza del Castillo and along Calle Estafeta, famous for the Running of the Bulls. Medieval walls and airy promenades reveal a city that balances tradition with everyday Basque-Navarrese life.

Hear stories of fiestas, fortifications, and Hemingway haunts while gathering tips for pintxos bars and local wines. This concise intro sets you up to explore confidently between cafés, ramparts, and river paths.

Join a guided bike tour to glide through Eixample’s grid, beachfront promenades, and leafy Ciutadella Park. Roll past Modernista facades and playful Gaudí details as boulevards open to sea views along the Mediterranean waterfront.

Local commentary brings neighborhoods to life—street art pockets, café culture, and the evolution of 19th-century planning. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; routes are designed for relaxed city cycling.

Sit down to dinner on Plaza Mayor, beneath 17th-century arcades where lantern light warms the square. Feast on classic Madrid dishes—from croquetas and tortilla to cocido—while street musicians set an evening rhythm.

Soak up layers of Habsburg-era history in frescoed facades and lively terrazas. This optional dining experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take a guided walk in the Albaicín, Granada’s Moorish quarter of jasmine-scented lanes and whitewashed houses. From Mirador de San Nicolás, frame the Alhambra against snow-dusted peaks before continuing to the Capilla Real.

Encounter the tombs and legacy of the Catholic Monarchs while tracing the city’s shift from Nasrid court to Christian capital. This optional tour is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a local olive grove in the Andalusian countryside to see centuries-old trees and learn cold-press techniques. Walk the mill, explore harvest traditions, and taste oils with notes of tomato leaf and almond.

Compare intensities as you sample extra virgin olive oils with rustic bread and local olives. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER-style optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Join a guided walking tour through the orange-scented lanes of Barrio Santa Cruz. View the vast Seville Cathedral and La Giralda from historic plazas before continuing to the tiled arcades of Plaza de España.

Hear tales of Almohad minarets, Mudéjar craft, and 20th-century expo architecture as you explore gardens and grand avenues. This optional tour is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Opt for a resident-led street art tour in a Cascais neighborhood reshaped by creativity. Discover an open-air urban gallery where murals tackle ocean conservation, identity, and community pride.

Meet local hosts who explain how art projects drive community regeneration and youth engagement. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER experience is optional, at additional cost, and bookable on tour.

Set out on a foodie walking tour to sample northern Portuguese staples—hearty bifanas, pasteis de bacalhau, and sweet treats—paired with regional wines. Browse market counters and tuck into bites near the riverfront Ribeira.

Learn how Atlantic fisheries, Douro vineyards, and monastery kitchens shaped Porto’s flavors. This culinary experience is optional, at additional cost, and bookable on tour.

Listen to a traditional fado performance in an intimate casa de fado, where voice and guitar conjure the haunting saudade of Portugal. Low lights and close tables heighten the emotion.

Sip a glass of Port as melodies wander from love to longing. This optional cultural evening is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore Salamanca on a guided walking tour, from arcaded Plaza Mayor to the filigreed facade of the University of Salamanca. Hunt for the famous carved frog and admire the shell-studded Casa de las Conchas.

Trace Gothic and Plateresque artistry across cathedral fronts and college courtyards as your guide unpacks legends and symbolism. This optional tour is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Cap your journey with a flamenco performance over dinner in a traditional Barcelona tablao. Dancers unleash rapid zapateado as guitarists and singers coil melodies through the room.

Feel the pulse of Spanish identity in rhythm, costume, and song while savoring regional dishes. This optional entertainment experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.