New author's tour: Spain-Portugal. Guide Mikhail Vasiliev

Tour start date(s):	19-05-2025
Duration:	11 days
Location:	Madrid (arrival, 1 night) - Burgos (1 night) - Bilbao (1 night) - Ovedo (1 night) - Santiago (1 night) - Porto (2 nights) - Lisbon (3 nights, departure)
Price (including tax):	DBL $2,500 USD,SNG $3410 USD (without flight)

May 19, 2025 - Madrid

Arrival in Madrid, check-in at the hotel. Evening walk around the city center of Madrid. Overnight stay in Madrid.

May 20, 2025 - Madrid - Burgos

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel with luggage. Transfer to one of the most famous museums in the world - the Prado Museum (additional excursion or independent visit to the museum).

After the museum visit, departure to the ancient city of Burgos (290 km), where we will make a stop to explore the historic center of the city, which was once the capital of medieval Castile. Check-in at the hotel, free time. Overnight stay in Burgos.

May 21, 2025 - Burgos – San Sebastián – Bilbao

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel with luggage. Travel to San Sebastián (213 km), which is rightly called the "pearl of the Bay of Biscay" and "little Paris." After our stroll through the city center, you will see why these comparisons are not accidental. Free time for lunch, then travel to Bilbao (101 km), an important cultural and economic center not only for the Basque Country but all of Spain: the Guggenheim Museum, the old town, Gran Vía, and the Nervión River waterfront. Check-in at the hotel, free time. Overnight stay in Bilbao.

May 22, 2025 - Bilbao – Santillana del Mar – Oviedo

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel with luggage. Travel to the small town of Santillana del Mar (124 km), which is listed in the "Most Beautiful Villages of Spain" registry. The beautiful nature of Cantabria, where the town is located, and the old architecture of its central part with magnificently preserved palaces of Spanish nobility will leave no one indifferent.

After the stop in Santillana, we continue our journey to the next city – Oviedo (170 km), the capital of Asturias, and a favorite city of American director Woody Allen. Check-in at the hotel, city tour of Oviedo. Overnight stay in Oviedo.

May 23, 2025 - Oviedo – Lugo – Santiago de Compostela

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel with luggage and travel to the city of Lugo (250 km), which was once an important center of Roman Spain, as evidenced by the well-preserved walls surrounding the old part of the city. This Roman landmark is listed in the UNESCO "Cultural Heritage of Humanity." Walk through the historic center of Lugo, time for lunch, and then travel to Santiago de Compostela (100 km), check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay in Santiago de Compostela.

May 24, 2025 - Santiago de Compostela – Braga – Porto (185 km + 57 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of Santiago de Compostela: we will visit the landmarks of the capital of Galicia, where pilgrims from all over the world complete their journey to venerate the relics of the Apostle Saint James, which are housed in the Santiago Cathedral.

After the tour, you will have time for lunch. Galician cuisine is famous for its seafood delicacies (oysters, octopus, various shellfish) and excellent Albariño white wine.

After lunch, we leave Spain and travel to Portugal, where our first stop is Braga (185 km), the center of the country's religious life. After exploring the historic center of Braga, we continue our journey to Porto (57 km), the second most important city in Portugal. Check-in at the hotel, free time. Overnight stay in Porto.

May 25, 2025 - Porto

Breakfast at the hotel. The whole day is dedicated to exploring Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of Port wine. If desired, you can visit one of the wine cellars and take an exciting river cruise along the Douro River. Overnight stay in Porto.

May 26, 2025 - Porto – Tomar – Obidos – Lisbon

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure with luggage and travel to the medieval town of Tomar (199 km), and visit the Templar Monastery, where you will learn about the fascinating history of this knightly order. Free time for lunch.

After lunch, we will head to the charming town of Obidos (106 km), where, as they say, "time has stopped" in the Medieval era. Here, you can taste the famous cherry liqueur served in chocolate cups. Travel to Lisbon (84 km). Check-in at the hotel. Overnight stay in Lisbon.

May 27, 2025 - Lisbon

Breakfast at the hotel. City tour of Lisbon: we will visit the most interesting architectural landmarks and viewpoints of the Portuguese capital. You will explore the historic district of Belém, where you will see the Jerónimos Monastery – the brightest example of the "Manueline" style, where the great sons of Portugal Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões are buried. You will also have the opportunity to taste the famous Belém pastries. Visit to the Belém Tower – the symbol of Lisbon, and the Monument to the Discoveries. The tour will continue with a visit to central Lisbon – the main avenue, Avenida da Liberdade, old squares (Commerce, Rossio, and Restauradores), and the oldest neighborhoods of Lisbon – Baixa, Alfama, and Bairro Alto. Time for lunch. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay in Lisbon.

May 28, 2025 - Lisbon Riviera – Cascais, Estoril, Sintra

Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion along the Lisbon Riviera – the elegant resort towns of Cascais and Estoril with old estates and hotels (with an impressive history), medieval forts and castles, the historic Casino (the oldest in Europe after the Monte Carlo casino, featured in the novel "Casino Royale"), and more. Visit to the westernmost point of Europe – Cape Roca – "where the land ends and the sun rests in the ocean..." Excursion to the capital of Portuguese Romanticism, Sintra, "where beauty knows no measure or number..." In Sintra, visit the National Palace – a majestic medieval castle with a beautiful garden, the summer residence of the Portuguese monarchs. Learn about unique ceramics and gold and silver products from Portugal. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay in Lisbon.

May 29, 2025 - Lisbon

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Lisbon airport at any time.

Hotels along the route or similar:

• Madrid, Hotel Santo Domingo 4*

• Burgos, Rice Palacio de los Blasones 4*

• Bilbao, Hotel Occidental Bilbao 4*

• Oviedo, Hotel Sercotel Ciudad de Oviedo 4*

• Santiago, Hotel San Lorenzo 3*

• Porto, Hotel Acta de Avenue 4*

• Lisbon, Hotel Holiday Inn 4*

The cost of the tour includes:

• Accommodation in hotels with breakfast.

• Guide accompanying the group: Mikhail Vasilyev.

• Transportation services.

• Entrance tickets where necessary.

• Headphones for the entire tour.

The cost of the tour also includes:

• Tourist fees at the hotels, paid upon check-in.

• Tips for the driver and guide.

Let me know if you need further help!

**Please note that all our tours are in Russian with a Russian speaking Tour guide.

To see all our tours itineraries please visit our Russian version in this website.