Choose Spain for the widest range in one trip: Madrid’s art, Andalusia’s Moorish palaces and the food and wine of the north, over 7 to 14 days. Choose Portugal for a slower, compact 7 to 12 days around Lisbon, Porto and the Douro Valley. Choose Morocco for medinas, mountains and the Sahara, over 10 to 14 days with a private driver. Many travelers combine two.
From the Magical Private Travel planning team: American precision with local expertise, designing private journeys in all three countries since 2002
How do Spain, Portugal and Morocco compare?
| Spain | Portugal | Morocco | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | First visits to Europe, art and history, food and wine, flamenco | A relaxed pace, wine regions, coast and Atlantic islands | Medinas and artisan traditions, the Atlas Mountains, nights in the desert |
| Suggested length | 7 to 14 days | 7 to 12 days | 7 days for one region, 12 to 14 days for the country |
| Best months | Late March to early June, September to November | Late April to June, September to October | March to early June |
| Getting around | Licensed driver for touring, high-speed train between major cities, licensed guide in each city | Licensed driver-guide on the road and in the cities | Private driver for the roads, licensed guide for the cities and sites |
| Price guide | From $884 per person per day, double occupancy, excluding flights | From $884 per person per day, double occupancy, excluding flights | From $884 per person per day, double occupancy, excluding flights |
| Start here | Private Spain journeys | Private Portugal journeys | Private Morocco journeys |
Final pricing depends on hotel category, season, trip length and the private experiences you choose.
When should you choose Spain?
Spain suits travelers who want variety. The country is 1.7 times the size of Italy, with four official languages, and its regions feel like different countries. In the north, choose from San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela or Barcelona. In the center, Madrid, Toledo, Cáceres or Trujillo, with Valencia on the Mediterranean coast. In the south, Seville, Granada, Córdoba, Ronda or Málaga. Your journey pairs a licensed guide in each city with a licensed driver between them.
- Suggested length: 7 to 14 days, with 14 days for a first visit across two or three regions
- Best months: late March to early June, September through November
- Price guide: from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights
When should you choose Portugal?
Portugal suits travelers who want depth over distance. Lisbon’s Alfama and the palaces of Sintra, Porto and the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley, the cork forests of the Alentejo and the Algarve cliffs sit within a few hours of each other, so your days go to delicious meals and private visits rather than transfers. Madeira and the Azores add Atlantic islands, and the Azores offer a shorter flight home to the eastern United States than the route back through Lisbon. Your licensed driver-guide handles the road, and many first visits run from Porto to Lisbon over ten to twelve days.
- Suggested length: 7 days minimum, 10 to 12 days for a first visit
- Best months: late April to June, September to October, with September for the Douro harvest
- Price guide: from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights
Read our Portugal travel guide or see private Portugal journeys
Region guides: Lisbon, Porto, Douro Valley, Sintra, Alentejo, Algarve, Coimbra, Aveiro, Braga and Guimarães, Madeira, Azores, Portugal food and wine
When should you choose Morocco?
Morocco suits travelers ready for a bigger contrast within a short flight of Spain or Portugal. Marrakech and Fez hold medieval medinas where artisan workshops still work the ground they were built on, the High Atlas divides the country, and beyond it come the kasbahs of the southern oases and the dunes of the Sahara. Distances are longer than the map suggests, so we pair a private driver for the roads with a licensed guide for the cities and sites.
- Suggested length: 7 days for one region, such as Marrakech with the High Atlas and Essaouira, 12 to 14 days for the country from Fez to the Sahara and Marrakech
- Best months: March to early June
- Price guide: from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights
Read our Morocco travel guide or see private Morocco journeys
Region guides: Marrakech, Fez, Sahara, High Atlas, Essaouira, Chefchaouen, Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat, Meknes, Volubilis, Ouarzazate, Agafay Desert, Middle Atlas, El Jadida, Tetouan, Asilah
Can you combine Spain, Portugal and Morocco?
Yes, and many of our American travelers do. Spain and Portugal together work best over 14 to 18 days, often flying into Madrid, traveling south through Andalusia, crossing into Portugal and flying home from Porto. Spain and Morocco need about 16 days, usually Spain first, then the ferry from Tarifa to Tangier or a short flight to Marrakech. Portugal pairs with Morocco through a direct flight to Casablanca or Marrakech after seven to ten days in Portugal. All three countries fit a 16-day private journey from Barcelona through Marrakech to Lisbon.
Where can you see sample journeys?
Each journey below is a starting point. Our planners reshape it around your dates, your pace and what you want to see.
What do travelers ask before choosing?
Is Spain or Portugal better for a first trip to Europe?
Both work well. Spain gives more variety in one trip and suits travelers who want art, history and the famous sights. Portugal is more compact and slower paced, which suits travelers who want wine regions and time on the coast without long transfers. With two weeks, you can see the highlights of both.
Is Morocco a good first trip to North Africa?
Yes. Tourism infrastructure is well established, a private driver makes the distances manageable, and Morocco sits close enough to Spain and Portugal to add to an Iberian journey.
How far in advance should we book?
For spring and autumn travel, nine to twelve months ahead is ideal and six months is workable. Shorter notice is possible, with fewer choices of hotels and guides.
Do we need to speak Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic?
No. Our planners work in English, and we arrange English-speaking guides in all three countries.
What does a private journey cost?
Private journeys in Spain, Portugal and Morocco start from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights. Final pricing depends on hotel category, season, trip length and the private experiences you choose.
Still deciding between countries?
Tell us how many days you have and what matters most to you. A planner replies within one business day with the route we would suggest.
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