Best Spain & Portugal Highlights for Seniors

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.
Customizable Itinerary
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:
Madrid – Madrid’s History and Culture
Granada – Visit Toledo and Tour Granada
Seville – Explore the Wonders of Ronda
Seville – Seville’s Beauty and Flamenco Show
Lisbon – Private City Tour of Lisbon
Lisbon – Leisurely Day in Sintra
Lisbon – The Regional Capital of Evora
Porto – Wine and City Excursion
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
$3,900 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.
Verified Traveler Reviews
Based on 3557 reviews
The trip was great. Zicasso’s travel specialist and her crew put together a great itinerary and left us plenty of downtime, so we were not exhausted each evening. The drivers were good and, although not guides, offered plenty of history along the way. All the guides were exceptional.
We loved all the hotels, especially our hotel in the mountains. That was very special.
The travel specialist had obviously passed along the note that we did not want to go shopping, like sometimes happens with the guides.
The food and restaurant suggestions were all good.
Overall, it was a very well-planned and articulated agenda. The software that they use to keep in contact worked very well once I understood it! Lol.
My only comment was that on trips in the past, the beginning of the trip started with a personal stop at our hotel by a representative from the company. I understood later that their headquarters is in a more remote area. But if I was a new traveler, I would have enjoyed putting a face with the name. Fortunately, the package they left at the hotel did indeed have all our tickets and passes.
I would definitely recommend this travel company and would use them again.
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I went on a two-week trip through France and Spain, and my experience with Zicasso’s travel specialist was amazing! She was incredibly responsive and communicative, and made sure my trip went as smoothly as possible.
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It was a fantastic trip. Great activities were planned. It was seamlessly executed.
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Zicasso’s travel company took care of all our needs and if we needed to make changes or find reservations at great restaurants, they responded quickly and set us up in some fantastic restaurants.
The guides and drivers were all super-knowledgeable and nice. We would definitely use the travel company again for trips to Portugal and Spain, and also use Zicasso to help us find tour companies in other countries.
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Flawless doesn't begin to describe how incredible and meticulous the planning and taste that went into designing our Spain and Morocco trip. I reached out to Zicasso’s travel specialist far in advance, describing a dream vacation for my husband and me that included a near-impossible amount of locations to cover through both countries in only two weeks. We had tried coming up with an itinerary with another planner prior to meeting the travel specialist, but it did not work out. When we shared our vision with the travel specialist, he materialized it on paper in a way that made sense and even made adjustments that fit within our budget. We got to see every location with enough time to savor each.
The order of travel from Barcelona to Andalucía to Morocco was an intricate weave that told a story of cross-cultural exchange. We started off with Gaudí architecture and the Sagrada Família, sunsets at the Puente Nuevo, Alhambra, and Córdoba, marveled at the grandeur of the mosque cathedral, savored seafood paella and Picasso art in Málaga. We finished off road-tripping in Morocco, starting from the blue city of Chefchaouhen, continuing our journey through Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Marrakech, and the Atlas Mountains. It was nothing short of magical.
We will never forget the beauty of the sun rising above the Atlas Mountains, private candlelit dinners on our private terrace in the riads, the colors of the souks, and the hospitality of our Moroccan hosts. Each riad was carefully selected and far exceeded our expectations. And of course, our driver in Morocco was an absolute delight and went above and beyond. Besides providing transportation, he acted as a friend who showed us the ins and outs, helping us see Morocco in a way that we would not have if we went in a large group or had chosen to come alone. Overall, my husband and I cannot recommend our travel specialist enough.
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Zicasso’s travel company designed a fabulous 17-day Spain and Portugal tour for us. It was a pleasure to work with our travel specialist during the entire design process. First, the travel specialist spent time talking to us over the phone so she could get to know what each of us wanted to get out of the trip. Armed with that information, she was able to come up with a recommended agenda. We went back and forth a few times until she designed a trip that suited both of our interests. This trip turned out to be the perfect balance between learning about the history of the area, experiencing the culture, and enjoying our surroundings in rural and urban environments.
The week before we left on the tour, we reviewed our entire trip with the travel specialist over the phone. She wanted to answer any questions we may have had and to make sure we understood how to use our trip app. The trip app made it easy to see what we were doing each day. It contained descriptions of each tour and what was significant about the sites we were visiting. We had access to all our tickets through the app. There were Google Map links, so we could easily navigate to the location we needed to be. Recommendations for various restaurants and other things to do in the area were also included in the app.
The travel specialist provided her contact information and back-up contacts in case we needed anything during our trip. She made it clear to us that if our guide or driver was more than five minutes late to contact her. The travel company was there to support us 24/7.
The travel specialist pays attention to details. I highly recommend the travel company for designing a trip to Spain and Portugal.
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