Best Spain & Portugal Highlights for Seniors

Garden and bell tower at Alhambra Palace in Granada in a beautiful summer day, Spain

What to expect on this itinerary

From the prestige of the Alhambra to the historic charms of the Castelo de Sao Jorge, your custom-tailored 10-day senior tour of Europe leads you through Spain and Portugal for the best of the Iberian Peninsula. Feel the beating spirit of Seville during a flamenco performance, sample the subtle flavors of celebrated wines in the Douro Valley, climb the impressive stairwell of the Spanish Royal Palace, and wander along the remnants of Moorish ramparts.

Countries Visited

Portugal, Spain

Places Visited

Madrid, Granada, Seville, Lisbon, Porto, Toledo, Ronda, Sintra, Evora

Suggested Duration

10 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Madrid – Introduction to Madrid

Your flight will arrive at Madrid Barajas International Airport, where your transfer will greet you at baggage claim and escort you to a luxurious accommodation near the vibrant center of the captivating city. After settling in to the comforts of your accommodation, you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure to enjoy the beauty of Madrid at your preferred pace. The Gran Via embodies the excellence of the city with its combination of architectural styles. The Telefonica Building remains an iconic aesthetic that stands over 265 feet tall and once boasted the title as Europe’s tallest building.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Madrid – Madrid’s History and Culture

Day 3

Granada – Visit Toledo and Tour Granada

Day 4

Seville – Explore the Wonders of Ronda

Day 5

Seville – Seville’s Beauty and Flamenco Show

Day 6

Lisbon – Private City Tour of Lisbon

Day 7

Lisbon – Leisurely Day in Sintra

Day 8

Lisbon – The Regional Capital of Evora

Day 9

Porto – Wine and City Excursion

Day 10

Porto – Depart for Home

Trip Highlights

  • Discover the grandeur of the art that is on display in the famous Prado Museum with a collection of over 2,300 paintings
  • Traverse the preserved charms of the Moorish fortress of Granada, which is known as the Alhambra and home to impressive engineering feats
  • Enjoy the rhythm and storytelling that can be found in a live flamenco show when visiting the captivating city of Seville
  • Explore the legacy of exploration when touring the splendor of Lisbon’s Alfama neighborhood and the Castelo de Sao Jorge
  • Sample the sensational depth of flavors that can be found in the wines produced in the world’s oldest designated wine-growing region at the Douro Valley
  • Enjoy the preserved medieval charms and cobblestone lanes of the dramatic city of Toledo
  • Marvel at the interesting architecture of Roman and Moorish design, which highlight the diverse history of the region
  • Revel in a fairytale ambiance when visiting storybook palaces and enjoying the picturesque scenery of stunning Sintra

Detailed Description

During your luxurious 10-day senior vacation of Europe, you will discover the marvels of the Iberian Peninsula with an immersive highlights tour of Spain and Portugal. The wealth of history and stature of the former Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms will be reflected by the splendor of the past’s architectural, artistic, and archeological marvels. You will experience the authentic beauty and true spirit of Spanish and Portuguese heritage.

Your adventure through the Iberian Peninsula will begin with your arrival in Madrid, which is the capital of Spain. You can take your time with a guide to explore the city at your pace, winding through the expansive galleries of the Prado Museum and the extravagant rooms of the Spanish Royal Palace. Before you reach Granada, you will have time to traverse the cobblestone lanes of Toledo, and the medieval city boasts preserved architecture along the banks of the Tagus River. You will have a guided tour in Granada to enjoy the inspiring architecture and ambiance of the maze-like city, which will showcase its Moorish and Catholic designs.

On your way to the fascinating city of Seville, you will stop in the town of Ronda, which is known for its whitewashed buildings and panoramic view from the edge of El Tajo Gorge. Here, you will visit the second-oldest bullring in Spain before reaching Seville, where you have the remaining evening at leisure to indulge in the famous flavors of Andalusia. Two nights in Seville will provide you with another opportunity to wander the cobbled lanes of the historic center and the former Jewish. You will also be provided with the exclusive opportunity of witnessing the vibrant steps of a captivating flamenco show.

You will travel from Seville into Lisbon with a stop in Faro to uncover the sensational history of the Algarve region, which is known for its sensational beaches and luxurious resorts. You will have three nights in Lisbon with a full day’s guided tour that will provide you with insight into the marvels of the Age of Exploration. You will enjoy two distinct day trips that will uncover the cultural differences and historic layers of the different regions of the Iberian Peninsula, from the fairytale palaces and streets of Sintra to the majestic Roman architecture found in Evora. One night in Porto will allow you to bask in the delicious splendor of the Douro Valley with a wine tour that will have you visiting numerous cellars within the historic landscape.

Starting Price

$3,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 1129 reviews

Luxury Portugal & Spain Family Trip Review: Porto, Fatima, Obidos, Lisbon, Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Sintra Castle, Douro Valley
Wow, what a trip! My mother and I had been talking about seeing Portugal and Spain for many years but with Covid and children on the way, my wife and I could not commit to a good time to travel. We endeavored to travel shortly after the birth of our third child. My parents, my wife and I, and our six week old daughter travelled to Spain and Portugal with the assistance of this travel company. You would think a six week old provides some large obstacles to international travel but thanks largely due to our travel agency, we had nothing but ease and comfort throughout our journey. Our travel company anticipated all issues that we might have and was prepared to make adjustments as needed during our 11 night trip to Spain and Portugal. Everything was seamless, no waiting around or late tours. Our drivers and guides were all professionals who took extra effort to ensure we had time to change the baby or prepare her food as needed. And, if we needed to make any alterations to our plans or had questions about our tour, our travel agency provided a Whatsapp number that I simply needed texted for a quick reply.Firstly, we loved the itinerary. We saw everything that we felt we needed to see in our four cities. In each of them, we had at least one short tour to see the city itself and a longer tour where we ventured out to see a specific site outside the city proper. Each of the recommended sites were special in their own way and certainly worth the extra travel time to get to explore them, the Douro Valley north of Porto, Sintra Castle on the coast of Lisbon, Cordoba outside Seville, and Toledo to the south west of Madrid. There was a lot of moving on this trip but that is to be expected when traveling with an itinerary (a newborn to boot) and not going to a relaxing island.Besides our travel company planning the perfect trip, we had three other issues that worked out in our favor on this vacation. We were fortunate to have the world's easiest baby for one. We also chose to use the Doona stroller (a baby car seat and stroller in one) that worked perfectly for our tours and car rides as well as one way on the plane ride home!! The third was that all of our tour guides, drivers, and even the countries of Spain/Portugal were extremely helpful for those traveling with a small child. We were given extra assistance in the airports, on tours in the rain, and at all of our hotels to make traveling with a baby simple and painless. 

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Travel Review: Luxury Spain Tour, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Lisbon, Sintra, Evora, Tapas Tour, Flamenco & Fado Shows

Can't say enough about the wonderful trip we had through Spain and Portugal and the excellent services provided by our travel company and this agent.  We arrived in Barcelona and made our way though Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Cordoba, Ronda, Seville, Merida, Evora, Lisbon and Sintra.  Needless to say, with so many cities and so many stops, coordination of drivers, accommodations, guides was imperative.  Our trip went off without one problem, thanks to this travel company.  Drivers were courteous and prompt.  Accommodations were  terrific, with great locations in each city within walking distances of everything we wanted to see and do. And the guides were knowledgeable, entertaining, flexible, passionate -- they seemed to love their jobs and tailored our outings to our tastes as they got to know us.  The travel agents checked with us periodically to make sure things were going smoothly.

Best indication of our satisfaction:  we have already recommended this travel agency and Zicasso to friends and family.

Thanks!

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Spain Family Tour Review: Seville, Madrid, Mijas, Malaga, Marbella, Granada, Marbella, Lisbon, Flamenco, Museum, Winery, Cruise
Our daughter Sophie had been studying abroad since January in Seville, Spain. We needed to plan a family trip to see where she was living and enjoy her experiences there. We live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and had no idea where to even begin with our adventures in Spain!  So, I went online and through many reviews of travel agencies, I found Zicasso to have great reviews. Once we decided on a really good fit with Rosa from the travel agency who teams up with Zicasso for the region you are visiting. We flew out to join our daughter mid-May. ( we booked everything with our Guide Rosa about 6.5 months ahead of time) She sent us an App called UnMapped and we had full itinerary, contact names, phone numbers of drivers, tour guides, our main contact email and text through What's App. So I never felt lost or misguided. They took care of us from the moment we got off the airplane in Madrid, to a speed train to Seville, daily tours and guides and then finally our driver to pick us up and get us to the Malaga airport.  With 6 people in our party, this made things so easy so we could simply enjoy our time together on a family vacation in Spain. We had an awesome journey to the southern beauty of Spain's Andalucia region. Cities include Seville, Ronda, Mijas, Malaga, Marbella, Granada & a layover in Portugal's Lisbon. We used Zicasso - a travel agency with Rosa. I highly recommend this company. So many ways we enjoyed the vibe of Spain- from guided walking city tours, Tapas & Flamenco, wine tasting at a Vineyard ( the Flamenco museum and show was absolutely stunning!) A visit to the moorish cultural palace & fortress Alhambra in Granada, variety of cathedrals, Picasso museum, the Royal Alcazar Castle in Seville and a winery visit to Chinchilla in the rolling hills of Ronda. Sophia our daughter even surprised us with a special boat cruise on the Guadalquivir River in Seville with a champagne toast! Our feet are tired and hearts are full! What an adventure! Don't stumble around when you take a trip- hire a Guide to do it right! Bravo to Rosa and her entire team that Guided us- drivers included- were phenomenal!!!  5 plus Stars!!! 

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Review: Luxury Tour of Spain, Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, Cordoba, Granada, Seville, Opera House Tour, Flamenco Performance

Our travel agency planned a two week, multi-city trip for us, covering Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Seville, the White Villages and Barcelona.  They arranged in-country hotels, transportation, drivers, guides, restaurant reservations and tours.  They did an excellent job on all fronts:  Professional, friendly, thoughtful and thorough.  Highly recommended.

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Travel Review: Luxury Spain Anniversary Vacation, Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Toldeo, Granada, Ronda, Costa del Sol, Soccer Match

We had an amazing trip through Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Ronda and the Costa del Sol. I was overwhelmed and didn't know where to start planning. Our agent with this Spain travel company made the planning process enjoyable. He went above and beyond to make our trip perfect.

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Spain Travel Review: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Seville, Toledo, Ronda, Alhambra Tour, Tapas Bars, Futbol Game

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

28,000+ Verified Traveler Reviews