Ultimate Spain & Portugal

Your trip to Spain begins with an overnight transatlantic flight to Madrid.

Welcome to Madrid, where your trip of a lifetime begins! If you purchased airline tickets through YMT Vacations, a friendly representative will welcome you at the airport and transport you to the hotel. The evening is yours to enjoy until guests are invited to sit down for a delicious dinner at the hotel. Get acquainted with your traveling companions and learn about the exciting days ahead. (D)

Wake up in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. Today we will take you on a panoramic tour including photo stops at some of Madrid’s most historic and iconic sights. See Plaza de España, Plaza de Colon, Plaza de la Independencia, Plaza Mayor, the Old City Center, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Retiro Park, and the upscale Salamanca neighborhood. Enjoy a walking tour of Toledo Old Town including admission to the stunning Toledo Cathedral, considered by many to be the greatest example of Gothic architecture in the world, and is just one of three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in all of Spain. The evening will be at your leisure to enjoy a delicious meal and the many museums, cafes, and pristine parks of this cultural hotspot. (B)

On the way from Madrid to Seville, travel to Córdoba in the history-rich region of Andalusia. Enjoy a walking tour of Córdoba’s Jewish quarter, Calleja de las Flores, or flower street, and La Mezquita, an 8th century Mosque turned gorgeous Catholic Cathedral. Tour the breathtaking Mosque Cathedral, known as one of Europe’s greatest works of Islamic architecture. You will be entranced by the detailed Moorish archways that line the prayer hall made of rich jasper, onyx, and marble. (B, D)

Note: If you’re going on this tour in 2025, this day you’ll spend the night in Seville instead of Cordoba (Palma de Rio).

Enjoy a leisurely departure from your hotel in Cordoba (Palma de Rio) in the morning after a delicious breakfast to meet your guide in the charming city of Seville! Spend the day on a panoramic tour of Andalusia’s capital where Gothic architecture, medieval history, and Arabian culture combine to create a truly unique setting. From the comfort of your coach, see Plaza de España, the Gothic Seville Cathedral, and the medieval Alcázar de Seville castle complex. Take a short walking tour of Santa Cruz, Seville’s medieval Jewish quarter. Spend the evening at your leisure or join us on one of our unforgettable optional tours. (B)

Note: If you’re going on this tour in 2025, this day you’ll already be in Seville.

Enjoy a day off from driving to explore this fantastic and vibrant city at your leisure, or consider joining one of our optional tours! (B, D)

Take a scenic journey to Valencia, with a lovely stop in Alicante for lunch on your own. Alicante is a perfect little beach town, and its fresh seafood is not to be missed. Look up to Mount Benacantil to see the sand-colored remains of Santa Bárbara Castle, the imposing fortress that protected Alicante dating back to the 9th century. Spend the evening in Valencia, where you can relax or find an outdoor cafe that serves Paella right here in the town where the famous dish was created! (B, D)

Start your day with breakfast and a tour of Valencia; this former Roman colony is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Spain due to its appealing combination of culture and history. Your panoramic tour includes Plaza de Toros, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, L’Oceanogràfic aquarium. Take a walking tour of Old Town, and of the towering Cathedral of Valencia. Continue to Barcelona, your home for the next two nights. (B)

The city of Barcelona boasts 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, not to mention a long, sandy coastline, fabulous food, and terrific shopping. Take a city tour where you will see Montjuic, Sagrada Familia, Passeig De Gracia with Gaudí buildings, Port Olympic, and the Arc de Triomf. Finally take an included funicular ride up to the site of the Sanctuary of Montserrat Mountain, and enjoy an included visit to the 11th century Benedictine monastery hidden in the towering Montserrat range. Your night ends with an included dinner. (B, D)

After an included inter-tour flight, arrive in Lisbon, the largest city and capital of Portugal. The evening is yours to enjoy until guests are invited to sit down for a delicious dinner at the hotel. Get acquainted with your traveling companions and learn about the exciting days ahead. (B, D)

After an included breakfast, set off for Sintra. Enjoy a guided city tour of this charming town, located in the foothills of the Sintra Mountains, and famous for its pastel buildings and lush terrain. Next, continue to Óbidos for a short walking tour, where guests can explore Óbidos Castle on their own. You’ll have some free time for lunch and photos before we head to Fátima for a self-guided tour of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, the location of a 1917 miracle. (B)

Enjoy a self-guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Monastery of Batalha, commissioned in the 14th century by King John I and among Portugal’s most beloved historic monuments. Continue to Coimbra, one of Portugal’s loveliest college towns. Enjoy lunch on your own and perhaps visit the library and grounds of Universidad de Coimbra, originally founded in 1290. The university is dazzling, and you can visit many of its most impressive sites, including the Great Hall, Baroque Library, and Natural History Collection. (B)

Start your active day in Viseu, where during free time you will have the opportunity to walk around the birthplace of Alfonso I The Conqueror, Portugal’s first king. Next, enjoy lunch on your own in Belmonte, plus an included olive oil tasting and admission to the Belmonte Jewish Museum. Dinner is included at your hotel in Evora. (B, D)

Spend the final day of your tour in Lisbon, Portugal’s hilly coastal capital watched over by 7 picturesque hills. The peaks’ view of Lisbon’s historic cobblestoned streets and stately ruins, mixed seamlessly with the modern world that grew up around them, is one of Europe’s prettiest. Take a guided tour of the city’s highlights, including admission to the Jerónimos Monastery, a dazzling monument built in the 1500s as a potent symbol of Portugal’s immense wealth and power at the peak of their global navigation period. Enjoy lunch on your own and an afternoon at your leisure before ending your tour with a delicious farewell feast. (B, D)