• 2 Dinner (D)
• 9 Breakfast (B)

• London: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
• Madrid: Yep. Usually, we arrange a buffet for all your included meals. If you’d like a vegetarian option, please inform your Trip Manager beforehand, and they’ll sort it out for you.
• Madrid: Of course! Just inform your Trip Manager if you need refrigeration on the coach. Please remember that the fridge is turned off overnight, so you’ll have to take your medication with you into your accommodation. We recommend that you bring a cooler bag with you as a backup. It’s your responsibility to store your medication with care. 

• Córdoba: This ornate World Heritage site was built by the Moors after they conquered Iberia. And it’s still one of the world’s biggest mosques.
• 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.  
• Sintra: There are plenty of UNESCO heritage sites to see in this colourful Portuguese town.
• 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. 

Pause for photos and reflection at the Ávila City Walls, a near-complete ring of fortifications encircling Spain’s highest provincial capital. From prominent gates like Puerta del Alcázar, admire crenellated towers and robust granite ramparts rising above the Castilian plain.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, these 11th–14th-century defenses frame medieval churches and convents within. The crisp plateau air and sweeping views underscore Ávila’s enduring aura of faith, frontier, and fortress architecture.

Savor a traditional Spanish dinner in a historic eatery near the Plaza Mayor. Think croquetas, roast meats, or cocido madrileño, shared with friends as you sample regional wines from Rioja or Ribera del Duero. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

With tile-lined walls and castizo atmosphere, this is Madrid at its most convivial—lively, flavorful, and perfect for a celebratory final night in the capital.

Explore Lisbon’s hilltops and riverfront on an orientation that showcases the Age of Discoveries. In Belém, admire the Manueline carvings of the Jerónimos Monastery and the watchful ramparts of the Belém Tower, with the chance to seek out a warm pastel de nata nearby.

Cross the Baixa and Alfama for sweeping views by the Castelo de São Jorge, then roll past grand squares including the Praca do Comércio, Rossio, and Praca da Figueira. Trams, tiles, and Atlantic light set the scene for Lisbon’s maritime heritage and creative energy.

Explore Sintra, where pastel villas and misty forests cloak the UNESCO Cultural Landscape of Sintra. Stroll cobbled lanes scented with pastry and pine, and gaze up to the fairy-tale silhouette of the Pena Palace perched across green ridgelines.

Amid Romanticist estates and Moorish ramparts, hear tales of royal retreats and literary muses. Opt to admire gardens and symbols at Quinta da Regaleira or simply savor café terraces and mountain air as you absorb the town’s whimsical, dreamlike aura.

Experience a guided orientation walk through Salamanca’s honeyed sandstone streets, beginning at the arcaded Plaza Mayor, the city’s elegant living room. Navigate to the storied University of Salamanca, where a riot of Plateresque carvings hides the famous little frog that students seek for luck.

Admire the twin cathedrals’ towers and the shell-studded facade of the Casa de las Conchas. The golden glow of Villamayor stone, scholarly traditions, and convivial tapas culture give this ancient university town a warm, intellectual charm.

Join a home-hosted dinner to taste Andalusian hospitality around a shared table. Expect seasonal tapas like salmorejo, tortilla, and jamón ibérico, thoughtfully paired as you sample regional wines and sherries. This small-group experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Guided by a local host, discover Andalusian home cooking and stories of Sevillian life, from family recipes to neighborhood traditions. It’s intimate, convivial, and a delicious window into everyday culture.

Taste fresh Atlantic seafood at a neighborhood restaurant, where cataplana stews, grilled sardines, and garlicky clams speak to Lisbon’s seafaring soul. Raise a glass as you sample regional wines—perhaps a crisp vinho verde. This dinner is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

In lively quarters like Bairro Alto or Chiado, attentive staff share the provenance of the day’s catch and local traditions. Expect bright flavors, warm service, and a relaxed atmosphere that lingers well into the evening.

Explore Cascais’ evolving neighborhoods on a street art tour hosted by local residents. Discover vivid murals and community-led creativity transforming public spaces into an urban art gallery. This responsible travel experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

By joining this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER activity, hear first-hand stories of renewal and identity while supporting local initiatives. It’s culture at eye level—color, conversation, and the power of art to reshape a city’s narrative.

Settle into an intimate venue for a traditional Fado performance, where voices and the haunting guitarra portuguesa trace themes of love and longing known as saudade. Enjoy the ambiance with the chance to taste a glass of Port. This evening is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Rooted in port-city taverns and sailors’ laments, Fado in Porto offers candlelit mood, attentive silence, and heartfelt storytelling—culture distilled into voice and strings.

Join a guided tasting walk through markets and traditional tascas to sample bolinhos de bacalhau, cured cheeses, and sweet treats alongside local pours. Between bites, Ribeira’s riverfront lanes set a photogenic backdrop. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Learn how Atlantic trade shaped Porto’s pantry and sample regional wines, including styles that pair beautifully with the city’s hearty classics. Expect craftsmanship, character, and artisanal specialties that tell the story of northern Portugal.

Join a guided stroll along the Guadalquivir River into Seville’s Cathedral Quarter, passing orange-lined lanes and wrought-iron balconies in Barrio Santa Cruz. Take in the soaring exterior of the Cathedral of Seville and its Giralda tower, once a minaret, that signals the city’s layered Moorish and Christian past.

Admire Mudéjar palaces and aristocratic mansions, then pause at Plaza de España to see azulejo-tiled alcoves celebrating Spain’s provinces. View the exteriors of the Real Alcázar—a Game of Thrones filming location—whose patterned courtyards and gardens epitomize Andalusian craftsmanship.

Contiki

Step inside the Mezquita in the heart of Córdoba’s historic center and encounter a forest of columns crowned by red-and-white horseshoe arches. Wander beneath intricate mosaics toward the shimmering mihrab, where delicate calligraphy and geometric patterns meet cool stone and filtered light.

Unpack centuries of Iberian history as the Great Mosque of Córdoba reveals its layered identity, completed by a Baroque cathedral nave inserted after the Reconquista. This UNESCO-listed masterpiece blends Islamic artistry with Christian symbolism, offering a serene, contemplative atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Spain.