Spain and Portugal

Tour begins: 6:15 PM, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. A transfer is included from Humberto Delgado Airport (Lisbon Airport) to your hotel, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, located in the heart of Lisbon. Meet your traveling companions this evening at a welcome reception and dinner at your hotel.

A guided sightseeing tour provides an introduction to this intriguing city and its most famous landmarks; view the famous monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and visit the Maritime Museum in the monastery's west wing (featuring an amazing 17,000 items). This afternoon, take part in a cooking demonstration where you'll learn to prepare a traditional Portuguese dish and taste it too! The rest of the day is yours to do as you wish.

Your day is highlighted with visits to two of Portugal's resort towns; Sintra and Cascais. Depart Lisbon this morning for Sintra, a longtime royal sanctuary, best known for its bright, pastel-colored villas and palaces as well as the Sintra National Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a visit to the palace followed by a short drive to seaside Cascais for a guided stroll through the city center as well as free time to enjoy lunch on your own. There are a wealth of delicious restaurants in the area. Return to Lisbon midway through the afternoon for free time to explore the city on your own or return to your hotel.

You're off today on the next leg of your journey - Portugal's Alentejo region. Translating to "Beyond the Tagus," Alentejo is defined by its rural scenery, small, walled villages and numerous Roman ruins that dot the region. Home to the world's most important area for the growing of cork (producing over half of the world's supply) be sure to enjoy the wine and take in the sights during your stay here. Arrive at your hotel for the evening, Convento do Espinheiro located in the city of Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This afternoon, you have the option to explore Évora on a guided tour of the city or, free time to enjoy the amentities of your hotel as you wish. Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Your travels continue into the border region between Spain and Portugal – an area where fortifications dotting the landscape have witnessed centuries of struggle between the Spanish, Portuguese and Moors – then through the Spanish Extremadura, a unique region that was once part of the Roman Empire and today is famous among epicures worldwide for its prized delicacy, jamon iberico. Spend the next two nights in the heart of Seville at one of Europe's most luxurious hotels, commissioned by the king of Spain for the famous Exposition of 1929. You may have dinner at your hotel this evening, or choose to enjoy an included lunch or dinner at the hotel tomorrow.

After getting your bearings (and an introduction to many of Seville's historic and cultural attractions) on a sightseeing tour with your local guide, ride a horse-drawn carriage through the city's historic heart. Enjoy a walking tour through the fascinating Barrio de Santa Cruz and the maze of old streets in the city's former Jewish Quarter. Your time in Seville will be capped off with either a visit to the impressive Seville Cathedral or the spectacular Royal Alcazar. The evening is free to spend as you wish; enjoy lunch and dinner as you please today.

Head to Marbella today on the southern coast of Spain. En route, stop at a private hacienda for lunch and visit Gibraltar to see the "rock," St. Michael's Cave, and the Barbary Apes' Den. Continue to your resort on the Costa del Sol where dinner tonight is at your leisure.

The entire day is yours to enjoy the pleasures of your elegant resort hotel, Grand Meliá Don Pepe, a paradise for the senses in the heart of the Costa del Sol. On one side is the famous Port of Marbella; on the other, gleaming white boats anchored at the exclusive Puerto Banús. And on the horizon, you can see Gibraltar and the North African coast, majestic in the distance, against the magnificent backdrop of the mountain peak – La Concha de Marbella. Long a favorite of celebrities in Marbella's privileged enclave of Sierra Blanca, the resort's guest list has included Sean Connery, Julio Iglesias, Prince, Maximillian Schell, Arthur Rubinstein, Bob Hope and many more... and you, spending a perfect day as you please.

As your tour continues, journey from the Spanish coast into the mountains to visit scenic Ronda, perched on a cliff overlooking the spectacular El Tajo gorge. Ronda is synonymous with the evolution of the art of bullfighting; along with revealing the town's Moorish heritage and remains, a guided walking tour includes a visit to one of Spain's oldest bullrings, the Plaza de Toros. Continue on to Granada, situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. The city boasts extraordinary architecture from over 250 years as the capital of a Moorish kingdom; your hotel is steps away from Granada's celebrated Moorish palace, the Alhambra. Dine at a local restaurant this evening.

Welcome to Granada - nestled in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the city was the last stronghold of the Spanish Moors who left their mark here in Islamic architecture, horseshoe arches, teahouses and culinary traditions. A highlight today is a guided visit to Granada's famed Moorish palace, the Alhambra, constructed to be a "paradise on Earth" by caliphs who ruled here in the 13th century. Tour the palace itself, considered to be one of the world's most beautiful, and stroll through the Generalife, the grounds of the summer palace of former sultans. The rest of the day is yours to do as you please. Maybe explore the many historic basilicas, tapas bars, flamenco clubs and cafés found across the city. Dinner tonight is at your hotel.

Continue from Granada to Córdoba today for a visit that begins with a guided walking tour through the cobblestone streets of the Judería, Córdoba's former Jewish Quarter; from its alleyways, you can see the walls and decorative details of the candy-striped La Mezquita (Spanish for "mosque.") Your visit to this masterpiece of architecture and art reveals its nearly 1,200-year history as an early Christian church, a Moorish mosque, and, since the 16th century, a Roman Catholic cathedral. Late this afternoon, board the AVE train in Preferente class for a rail journey to Spain's amazing capital city. Arrive in Madrid for three nights at The Palace, Madrid – a Belle Époque landmark in the heart of the city, a short walk from the tapas bars that American novelist Ernest Hemingway made famous. A light dinner will be served at your hotel this evening.

Set off this morning for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Toledo, known as the "city of three cultures" because for centuries Christians, Arabs and Jews have lived together behind its walls – as the range and artistry of the city's architecture attests. It was also the home of the Spanish artist El Greco whose haunting canvases include one of his most famous works, View of Toledo. From afar, Toledo still looks as it did when El Greco painted it. See Toledo up close today on a guided walking tour with a local guide. Make your way along cobbled streets paved with history, including visits to the 12th-century Synagogue Santa María la Blanca, considered one of the oldest synagogues in Europe still standing, and the Church of Santo Tomé, home to El Greco's painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. Have lunch in a local restaurant before returning to Madrid late afternoon.

Join a local guide for a morning orientation tour (either by coach or on a walking tour) of Madrid's landmark sights including the vast Plaza Mayor and the Mercado San Miguel. Then view the art treasures of Madrid's celebrated Museo del Prado – one of the most famous art museums on Earth, just a block away from your hotel – on a guided visit with a local expert. Join us tonight for a farewell reception and dinner with traditional Castilian entertainment.

Tour ends: Madrid. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Palace Hotel, Madrid to Madrid Barajas Airport or Madrid Atocha train station. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in at the airport.