Grand Tour of Spain & Portugal

Grand Tour of Spain & Portugal

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Grand Tour of Spain & Portugal

17 Days Starting in Plymouth, UK and ending in Paris, France

Visiting: Plymouth, Santander, Porto, Salamanca, Fátima, Lisbon, Seville, Evora, Granada, Córdoba, Alhambra, Torrejón, Toledo, Madrid, Basque Country, Paris

Tour operator:

Leger Holidays

Tour code:

esp

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Physical rating:

Low

Age range:

0-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians

Tour operated in:

English

Activities:

Sightseeing, Walking

This tour is no longer available

Tour Overview

Home to a rich cultural heritage, spectacular countryside and coastlines, tasty tapas and a tipple or two, it’s easy to see why Spain and Portugal are amongst the top destinations to visit in Europe. Travel by luxury coach on this grand tour and cover great historical cities, plus the treasures of the Iberian Peninsula including Madrid, Seville, Lisbon, Porto and Granada. What’s more, you’ll also have the opportunity of visiting one of Andalucía's must-see places, The Alhambra Palace, on this Grand Explorer holiday.

Highlights

  • Home to a rich cultural heritage, spectacular countryside and coastlines, tasty tapas and a tipple or two, it’s easy to see why Spain and Portugal are amongst the top destinations to visit in Europe

  • Have the opportunity of visiting one of Andalucía's must-see places, The Alhambra Palace, on this Grand Explorer holiday

  • Travel by luxury coach on this grand tour and cover great historical cities, plus the treasures of the Iberian Peninsula including Madrid, Seville, Lisbon, Porto and Granada

Itinerary

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Day 1 : Plymouth

Location: Plymouth

Accommodation: Overnight Ferry

Regional departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Portsmouth/Plymouth for the overnight crossing to Santander.


Please note: When you board the ferry at Portsmouth/Plymouth you will require a small overnight bag containing any essential items such as medication. Please note that this small bag (no larger than a small rucksack) is counted as part of your overall luggage allowance.

Day 2 : Arrive In Santander

Location: Santander

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Dinner

Arrival in Santander, then travel to our overnight hotel in Salamanca.

Day 3 : Salamanca And Porto

Location: Porto, Salamanca

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we see the beautiful city of Salamanca, considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We then head west, crossing the border into Portugal and continuing to the city of Porto, regarded as being one of the oldest tourist destinations in Europe. Porto is famous for its artistic heritage, Port Wine and open-air leisure spaces. To introduce you to the city, why not join our optional sightseeing tour accompanied by a local English speaking guide. Later this afternoon we continue to our hotel in Porto or Aveiro for an overnight stay.

Porto Walking Tour can be pre-booked to secure your place.

Day 4 : Fatima

Location: Fátima

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

En route, we pause in the famous pilgrimage town of Fatima. Fatima is one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is famous for the apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed as a miracle witnessed by approximately 60,000 people and is known in the Catholic world as "the day the sun danced". We head south to Lisbon for a two-night stay.

Day 5 : Lisbon

Location: Lisbon

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Lisbon. We start with a panoramic drive around the main sights to allow you to get your bearings. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax and explore this spectacular city at your leisure.

Day 6 : Évora

Location: Seville, Evora

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Lisbon and commence our journey back over the border into Spain. En route we pause in the Moorish hill-top town of Évora, one of Portugal’s most beautifully preserved medieval towns. Aside from its historic and aesthetic virtues, Évora is also a lively university town, and its many attractive restaurants serve up hearty Alentejan cuisine. We continue to our hotel in Seville for a three night stay.

Day 7 : Seville

Location: Seville

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Join us today as we spend an included full day in Seville. To help you discover Seville’s fantastic sights and stories, why not join our local guide for an optional sightseeing tour. The city is over 2000 years old, and has a very rich architectural and monumental history. We see Plaza de Espana and the area of the 1929 Ibero-American exhibition. We will also visit the Barrio Santa Cruz area, a maze of narrow streets, picturesque alleys and hidden delights. For the rest of your time, you are free to relax and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this lovely city. Please note that the Seville Walking tour does involve a degree of walking and is not suitable for any clients with walking difficulties.

The Seville Guided Sightseeing Tour is highly recommended and includes entrance to the Alcazar Royal Palace, so must be booked in advance. The cost is from £60 and includes a fully guided tour. Please ask for details when booking this holiday.

Day 8 : Free Time Or Cádiz

Location: Seville

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today our optional excursion takes you to the old town of Cádiz. It is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe and is now well into its fourth millennium. The ancient centre, surrounded almost entirely by water, is a romantic assortment of sinuous streets, municipal beaches and rambunctious taverns. Worth a visit are the city's Cathedral and churches of Santa Cruz and San Felipe Neri, which is famous throughout Spain as the place where, in defiance of Napoleon's siege, the provisional government was set up with its own liberal Constitution. Other points of interest are La Santa Cueva, home to several paintings by Goya, and stately mansions such as the Casa del Almirante and Casa de las Cadenas. The old city looks quite Moorish in appearance and is intriguing with narrow cobbled streets opening onto small squares. The golden cupola of the cathedral looms high above long white houses. There will be ample free time for you to explore the town at your leisure.

Day 9 : Córdoba

Location: Granada, Córdoba

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Seville and head east to Granada for a two night stay. En route we visit Córdoba, where you can join our optional guided walking tour seeing the celebrated courtyards and patios, the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the famous Plaza del Potro. Córdoba was once the largest city in Europe and its incredible history is represented by the beautifully preserved buildings and squares. It is home to the famous Mezquita, a 12th century mosque, which dominates the town centre and is a symbol of worldly and sophisticated Islamic culture. (Entrance not included). It is impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably peaceful and spacious interior. The Mezquita hints at a lavish and refined age when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side by side and enriched their city and surroundings with diverse and vibrant cultures. The medieval centre is a warren of narrow streets surrounding the Mezquita. It is home to some excellent bars and restaurants, some of which have become sights themselves. The main shopping streets are found to the north and west of Plaza de las Tendillas, which is the city’s main square.

Cordoba Walking Tour can be pre-booked to secure your place.

Day 10 : Granada & The Alhambra Palace

Location: Granada, Alhambra

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a full day in Granada with an optional guided tour of the vast *Alhambra Palace, which dominates the skyline with the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background.

A visit to the Alhambra Palace and its beautiful gardens is highly recommended and extremely popular, and must be booked in advance. The cost is from £55 and includes a fully guided tour. Please ask for details when booking this holiday.

Day 11 : Toledo

Location: Torrejón, Toledo

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Granada this morning and head north to Toledo, often regarded as the Spanish city with the greatest wealth of monuments. The top attractions in Toledo include the city's magnificent cathedral, which houses some beautiful stained glass, delicate wood and stone sculptures plus a large collection of paintings. We continue to Torrejon, Madrid for a three-night stay.

Day 12 : Madrid

Location: Madrid

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we have an included full day in Madrid, a truly cosmopolitan city with a wealth of cultural attractions. Why not join our optional guided coach tour, which will allow you to discover many highlights of the city. We will see the famous Salamanca quarter, with its exclusive boutiques and embassies. We also discover the Borbones Quarter, with its many museums, Jardin del Retiro, and House of Parliament, and the Asturias Quarter which is home to the superb Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), which is the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain. Our guide will also help us discover 21st century Madrid with the New Parliament, 4 towers, and Stadium Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid Walking Tour can be pre-booked to secure your place.

Day 13 : Free Time Or Avila & Segovia

Location: Madrid

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star superior or 4-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Free day in Madrid or join us on our optional excursion as we discover the Cities of Castile – Avila and Segovia. We head first to the World Heritage Site of Avila, which is well known for the amazingly intact 11th century wall that surrounds the city and the old town. We then travel to Segovia, which quite rightly lays claim to being the most spectacularly sited city in Spain. It is also famous for its Alcazar, a beautiful 11th-century medieval fort known to be Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle.

Day 14 : Basque Region

Location: Basque Country

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: City-style hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

We travel through the spectacular mountain scenery of the Basque region to Ciboure or Biarritz on the Basque coast for a two-night stay.

Day 15 : Free Time Or San Sebastián

Location: Basque Country

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: City-style hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

Join our optional excursion back into Spain and to the beautiful Basque town of San Sebastián. San Sebastián has four main districts. The lively Parte Vieja (old town) lies across the neck of Monte Urgull, the bay’s eastern headland. South of the Parte Vieja is the commercial and shopping district, the Centro Romántico. It’s a handsome grid of late-19th-century buildings extending from behind Playa de la Concha to the banks of Río Urumea. On the east side of the river is the district of Gros, a pleasant enclave that, with its relaxed ambience and the surfing beach of Playa de Gros, makes a cheerful alternative to the honeypots on the west side of the river. Right at the opposite, western end, of the city is Playa de Ondarreta (essentially a continuation of Playa de la Concha), a very upmarket district known as a millionaires' belt on account of its lavish holiday homes. There will be ample free time for you to explore all the town has to offer.

Day 16 : Travel To Paris Area

Location: Paris

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: City-style hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

To the Paris area for an overnight stay.

Day 17 : Return Home

Location: Paris

Meals Included: Breakfast

Return home.

What's Included

  • Accommodation

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Additional Services

    Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price; some carry a supplement. Please contact us for our full list of joining points.

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

    This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point

  • Fully Guided

  • International Travel

  • Meals

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • Transport

    Comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach

What's Not Included

Accommodation

You will stay in 3-star superior and 4-star hotels throughout your time in Spain and Portugal.

Your overnight stays in France/northern Spain will be in city-style hotels.

On the overnight ferry sailing, accommodation will be in en suite inside cabins (meals at extra cost).

Check out our Q&As

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Fully escorted by our experienced drivers/crews. And in most towns and cities we either include or offer optional sightseeing tours with expert local guides to help you get the most from your visits.

  • What type of coach will be used?

    You will travel on either our Luxuria Coach or our Silver Service Coach

  • Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?

    No

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • Is the tour coach air conditioned?

    Yes

  • Is there a supplement for solo travellers?

    Some tours carry a supplement for solo travellers, please ask for details if the Single price is not shown

  • Is there a limit to luggage that can be brought on the tour?

    On Leger Coach Holidays, your allowance is one medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full.

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in the itinerary

  • What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

    Low

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    40 years

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Sole use of your own room on all Single Traveller holidays: means you still get your privacy and time out from the group.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • Battlefield Tours - Will it be possible to visit a particular cemetery whilst on the tour?

    Please contact us and we will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies

Reviews of this operator

Gary White (Google Reviewer)  

Just got back from a...

27-May-2024

Just got back from a holiday with leger holidays to callea spain which my wife done as a surprise for my 60th and wedding anniversary together my wife and i had a great time the coach journey there was excellent regular stops for toilet breaks and a stretch. Our two drivers Geoff and katrina were brilliant serving regular drinks and making the trip pleasant all the people on the coach were pleasant the hotel in spain was so nice the best we've stayed in lovely staff lovely bar the guy at the bar was great really friendly nice room. Overall our journey there and our return journey was brill the only thing that was not good at all was the ibis hotel on the return journey the room was horrible not a nice breakfast not polite French staff. Not really interested in trying to speak some english if i was leger should try and use a different hotel. Once again a big thank you to Geoff and katrina well done guys for making our holiday lovely. Hope to see you on another holiday soon

Will (Google Reviewer)  

I went on the 4...

05-Jan-2024

I went on the 4 countries trip and swiss glacier express and overall it was a great trip. The coach I was on was silver service, it was tidy had nice seats and other accessories such as charging points and headsets which was very handy. The drivers Alex and Dave were fantastic, very kind, funny and respectful throughout the whole trip and a pleasure to talk to. The excursions were very pleasant and all ran very smoothly. The hotels were decent and offered a good service. I overall very much recommend leger holidays.

Sally Matson  

Excellent customer service

10-Jan-2023

Booked our ‘Christmas in Austria & Scenic Trains of the Tyrol’ through George on the customer Helpline. Nothing was too much trouble, everything clearly & patiently explained. He even had permission to log in on his day off to finalise the sale! A charming and helpful young person and a credit to the company.

Euan Donald (Google Reviewer)  

Been on two tours now...

10-Oct-2023

Been on two tours now the “D Day beaches” and “ All Quiet on the Western Front” tour of the Somme and Ypres. Both four days in total, two travelling and two on the site of the various battles. This is outstanding value for money, picked up from Carlisle , Cumbria and literally looked after all the way through the tours. The coaches are great and the accommodation spot on . The guides are very knowledgeable ( Mark Hope brilliant guy)and the bus drivers professional . Absolutely fantastic .

Remon Wanis (Google Reviewer)  

We have been working with...

05-Aug-2024

We have been working with them for nearly a year now as Sussex Airports Taxis, and they offer the best customer service ever. All their customers are always happy when they return from their holidays. We look forward to continuing our partnership for many more years to come.

William Olley (Google Reviewer)  

I recently went on a...

21-Aug-2024

I recently went on a coach holiday with this company. Everything was on time but there can be traffic hold ups with jams and roadworks! The coach was comfortable and the driver stopped for rest periods. The hotel was a 3 star close to a spectacular beach and was adequate. The catering was excellent! I went on the excursions included in the package and visited some lovely places.

Gordon Price (Google Reviewer)  

just returned from Italian holiday....

21-Jul-2024

just returned from Italian holiday. It was great spoilt a little by the high temperature even Ledger can't control that. The only real thing to spoil the trip was one of the hotels. The Krystall hotel in Diano Marina was terrible the room was dire with cracks in shower bogged up shower fittings noe control for AC end so on. The food was very poor, limited choice luke warm food on cold plates. After 4 evening meals (3 or four courses) we were only able to remember 2 we enjoyed. Breakfast was poor no bread except for hard rolls. No fresh fruit if you liked cake for breakfast you were good. If this is a 3 star hotel Italian standards have fallen which I don't think they have. Ledger brochure states "some of Europes most fascinating unique hotels" for Luxuria trips. This hotel should be removed from your list at once. The holiday was other wise good I cannot praise your coach crew too to much they were excellent. A highlight of the trip was the return trip through the swiss alps. It was superb and deserves mention in your holiday iteniary description.

Hilary Jackson (Google Reviewer)  

I recently went on a...

12-Jun-2024

I recently went on a 4 night tour to Scarborough. Driver was great hotel superb. My criticism is too many destinations crammed into day excursion. Example visit to Flamborough head stop for 1 hour it was teeming nobody got off coach but even if fine pointless. Then on to Bridlington coach Park 1.5 ml from centre. Most people are hard pressed to get to center & back in 1.5 hours pointless. Incidentally if Leger paid a permit they could alight us in the resort. Very bad logistics. On to Whitby with a decent stop should have taken us there & bypassed the other stops. I will not go with them again. I will source a better holiday with excursions to one place only.

Suzanne Maylin (Google Reviewer)  

Having returned from a fabulous...

24-Sep-2024

Having returned from a fabulous tour of Austria with excellent tour guides/ drivers, it's disappointing to say the least that I'm left chasing a return for an excursion that was cancelled. I called Leger 5 days ago and am still waiting in a call back. Leger if you want to retain customers you need step up on service. Good training , good service costs very little, and once embedded in a company produces more income. I don't suppose anyone from Leger will respond to this, but who knows

aled blackshaw (Google Reviewer)  

just returned from a solos...

25-Mar-2024

just returned from a solos break to valkenburg and rhine valley i enjoyed the break overall although both journeys were considerably longer than expected due to several picks ups. I could have done without the 3 countries meeting point excursion to be honest and the lunch on rhine cruise was very basic. The drivers/couriers were efficient and good humoured and provided free lunch vouchers on the ferry which were much appreciated. I probably would book another break with leger but to somewhere a lot closer to home.

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Barrhead Travel requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 98 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of barrhead travel charges.

    Up to 98 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 97 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.

    At 28 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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