Multi-Country · Private and tailor-made
Two Countries, Two Islands: Spain and Portugal
Taste rare vintage ports among the barrels of Graham's lodge in Gaia, poured for your party alone.
Suggested length
16 days
Price guide
From $15,968 per person, excl. international flights, based on two sharing
Includes hotels, private guiding, experiences and transfers
When
April to June and September to October
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American precision with local expertise · Planned from Europe since 2002 · Nearly 17,000 American travelers · Never cancelled a journey
Two islands set this route apart, Mallorca in the Mediterranean and Madeira in the Atlantic. This 16-day private tour of Spain and Portugal starts with Gaudí in Barcelona, then crosses to Palma, Valldemossa and the Serra de Tramuntana. Madrid follows with the Prado and sunset at the Temple of Debod, and Seville with the Alcázar and the Giralda. Lisbon and Sintra lead to the laurel forest of Madeira, then Porto and the Douro Valley. In Gaia, across the river from Porto, rare vintage ports are poured for your party alone among the barrels of Graham’s lodge. Private guides and drivers are with you at every step. Your planner in Madrid reshapes any day around you, so you pay only for what you want.
Walk under the rose window of Palma Cathedral, nearly 14 meters across, Mallorca.
Study Velázquez’s Las Meninas with Ana, an art historian, at the Prado, Madrid.
Climb the 35 ramps of the Giralda above the orange trees of the cathedral, Seville.
Ride up to the red and yellow walls of the Pena Palace with Luisa, Sintra.
Walk a levada through the UNESCO-listed laurel forest, Madeira.
Taste aged port in the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto.
“We love to tailor-make trips you’ll talk about for years, built on our local relationships & story-worthy experiences.” – Magical’s American founder, in Europe since 1998, culinary enthusiast & world traveler.
A Journey Designed Just for You
This itinerary was created by our Spain & Portugal experts and is ready to be customized to your interests, pace, and travel style.
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The 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary at a glance
The route uses seven bases and fifteen nights: two in Barcelona, three in Palma de Mallorca, two in Madrid, two in Seville, two in Lisbon, two in Funchal on Madeira and two in Porto. Nine nights fall in Spain and six in Portugal. Mallorca holds the extra night, so the island gives you two full days with no transfer, one for the mountain villages and one for the Serra de Tramuntana.
Five short direct flights and one high-speed train link the bases, and no road day runs longer than the drive into the Douro Valley. A direct flight links Barcelona and Palma in under an hour, and another links Palma and Madrid in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The high-speed train runs from Madrid to Seville in about 2 hours 30 minutes. From Seville a direct flight reaches Lisbon in about 1 hour, a flight from Lisbon reaches Funchal in about 1 hour 45 minutes, and a flight from Madeira reaches Porto in about 2 hours. A licensed driver meets every arrival in Spain and Lisbon, and in Madeira, Porto and the Douro a licensed driver-guide looks after you.
Spring and autumn suit a route this varied. Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, records average daily highs in Seville of about 23°C (74°F) in April and 26°C (79°F) in October, against 36°C (97°F) in July, and in Palma about 20°C (68°F) in April and 24°C (75°F) in October. Portugal’s weather institute, IPMA, records average highs in Lisbon of about 20°C (68°F) in April and 23°C (73°F) in October, while Funchal on Madeira stays mild all year, at about 21°C (69°F) in April and 25°C (77°F) in October.
Licensed guides we work with on this route include Irma and Mariona in Barcelona, Ana and Alicia in Madrid, Andrés and Rosario in Seville, Luisa and Anabela in Lisbon, Isabel in Sintra, Susana and Tania in Porto, and Nuno in the Douro. Each is a highly educated local expert who cares about the people in their group. We request your guides by name, and your planner confirms who leads each day once your dates are set.
Why the route runs from Barcelona to Porto
The route crosses the peninsula from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, and it places one island in each half. Barcelona opens the trip, and Mallorca lies a short flight offshore, so the first island comes before the long run of cities. From Palma a flight lands you in Madrid, the high-speed train carries you south to Seville, and a short hop across the border brings you to Lisbon. The cities come in a line, east to west, with no doubling back.
Portugal then turns out into the ocean. From Lisbon a flight crosses to Madeira, the second island, and a flight from Funchal returns you to the mainland at Porto, at the mouth of the river, with the Douro Valley a day away. Porto’s airport sits about 11 kilometers from the center, so the last transfer stays short.
The thread through the sixteen days is contrast. Each island follows a run of city days and gives the trip a slower register: dry-stone terraces and olive groves above the Mediterranean on Mallorca, water channels and laurel forest on Madeira. The cities give you the Gaudí buildings, the Prado, the Alcázar, the Jerónimos Monastery and the port lodges. Your planner treats the route as a starting point and moves nights between bases to fit your dates.
View Full Itinerary
Day One
Barcelona: The Gothic Quarter and the Passeig de Gràcia
Your licensed driver meets you at Barcelona-El Prat, about 15 kilometers southwest of the city, and brings you to a hotel near the Passeig de Gràcia. In the afternoon your licensed guide walks you into the Gothic Quarter, where stretches of the Roman wall stand among medieval lanes. The carved stone bridge over Carrer del Bisbe looks medieval, yet Joan Rubió built it in 1928, one of the stories your guide reads in the stones. Toward evening you stroll the Passeig de Gràcia, where Gaudí's Casa Batlló and Casa Milà face the avenue, and your guide suggests a table for tapas and a glass of cava, with dinner reserved each night on request. Logistics: Barcelona-El Prat airport to central Barcelona by road with your licensed driver, then a light afternoon on foot with your licensed guide.
Day Two
Gaudí's Barcelona
UNESCO lists seven works by Antoni Gaudí as World Heritage, first in 1984 and with an extension in 2005, and today your licensed guide leads you through the best known of them. Work on the Sagrada Família began in 1882, Gaudí took it over a year later, and the Nativity Façade, the first he completed, forms part of the listing. Your licensed driver then climbs to Park Güell on the slopes of Carmel Hill, built between 1900 and 1914 and opened as a public park in 1926. On the main terrace the serpentine bench by Josep Maria Jujol curves around the edge in bright ceramic mosaic, and below it the multicolored salamander Barcelonans call El Drac guards the stairway. Where it suits your party, a morning at La Boqueria market, entered from La Rambla under its 1914 iron roof, and a cooking class with a chef take the place of one site. Logistics: a full guided day in Barcelona with your licensed guide, and your licensed driver handles the transfers between sites.
Day Three
Palma de Mallorca: The Cathedral and La Llotja
Day three is a travel day, and the afternoon belongs to Palma. Builders began the cathedral, La Seu, soon after the Christian conquest of the island in 1229, on the site of the largest mosque of the Muslim city. Inside, the east rose window measures nearly 14 meters across, and Antoni Gaudí reshaped much of the interior during a restoration he led until 1914. Your licensed guide walks you past La Almudaina, a Muslim fortress rebuilt as a royal palace from 1305 and still one of the official residences of the Spanish royal family. Down by the harbor, Guillem Sagrera designed La Llotja, the merchants' exchange, between 1426 and 1452, with spiral columns rising like palm trees. Before dinner, taste an ensaïmada, the island's pastry, which takes its name from saïm, a pork lard in the dough. Logistics: Barcelona to Palma by direct flight, under an hour, and a licensed driver meets you at Palma airport, about 8 kilometers east of the city.
Day Four
Valldemossa and Deià
Your licensed driver takes the road into the hills to Valldemossa, about 25 minutes from Palma. In 1399 King Martin the Humane gave the royal estate here to the Carthusian monks, and their charterhouse still dominates the village. Frédéric Chopin and George Sand spent the winter of 1838 to 1839 in one of its cells, where Chopin completed his Preludes, Op. 28, and his Pleyel piano stands in the cell today. Your licensed guide also shows you the monks' old pharmacy, and the village counts Saint Catalina Thomàs, Mallorca's patron saint, among its own. In the afternoon the road follows the coast to Deià, a village of orange and olive groves on cliffs above the Mediterranean. The poet Robert Graves settled here, his house now runs as a museum, and he lies in the small churchyard on the hill. Logistics: Palma to Valldemossa by road, about 25 minutes, then on to Deià and back to Palma, licensed driver and licensed guide.
Day Five
The Serra de Tramuntana
UNESCO inscribed the Serra de Tramuntana as World Heritage in 2011, a steep range running along Mallorca's northwest coast across more than 30,000 hectares. Farmers shaped its slopes over centuries into terraces held up by dry-stone walls, planted with olive trees, fruit and vegetables, and fed by a network of channels, cisterns and water mills rooted in Arabic irrigation. Puig Major, the island's highest peak at 1,445 meters, rises over the range. Today your licensed guide leads a walk on old paths between the terraces, at the pace your party sets, with the stone walls warm in the sun and the sea below. Those who prefer a gentler day spend it among the mountain villages, with lunch on a terrace overlooking the valley. Logistics: Palma into the Serra de Tramuntana by road with your licensed driver, and a licensed guide for the walk.
Day Six
Madrid: The Royal Palace and Sunset at the Temple of Debod
Your licensed driver meets you at Madrid-Barajas and brings you to a hotel in the center. Your licensed guide starts at the Royal Palace, built between 1738 and 1755, where the royal family holds state ceremonies in a building of 3,418 rooms. A short walk brings you to the Plaza Mayor, completed in 1619, where 237 balconies look down on the bronze statue of Philip III by Giambologna and Pietro Tacca. The walk continues into Las Letras, the old literary quarter, for a round of tapas. At sunset you choose the Temple of Debod, a 2nd-century BC Egyptian temple Egypt gave to Spain in 1968 for its help in saving Abu Simbel, or the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, 56 meters above Calle de Alcalá under a bronze Minerva. Logistics: Palma to Madrid by direct flight, about 1 hour 30 minutes, and a licensed driver meets you at Madrid-Barajas, then an afternoon on foot with your licensed guide.
Day Seven
The Prado, the Retiro and Flamenco
The Prado opened to the public in November 1819, and Goya has more works in its collection than any other artist. Where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads the morning around the paintings you care about, from Velázquez's Las Meninas to Goya, El Greco and Rubens. Travelers drawn to the 20th century choose the Reina Sofía instead, where Picasso's Guernica, painted in 1937, fills a wall almost eight meters long. In the afternoon you walk into the Retiro, 120 hectares of gardens, which UNESCO inscribed together with the Paseo del Prado in 2021. In the evening, where it suits your party, our team reserves seats at a flamenco performance, with the song, the guitar, the dance and the sharp rhythm of palmas, the handclaps, close enough to feel. Logistics: the Prado and the Retiro sit side by side, so the day runs on foot, and your licensed driver handles the evening transfers.
Day Eight
Seville: The Alcázar, Santa Cruz and the Giralda
Your licensed driver brings you to Madrid's Atocha station for the high-speed line to Seville, which opened in 1992. UNESCO inscribed Seville's cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias together in 1987, and your licensed guide spends the afternoon among them. King Pedro I built his Mudéjar palace inside the Real Alcázar in the 1360s, and the royal family still uses the upper floors when it visits Seville. From the gardens you walk into Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter, where the painter Murillo lived. The cathedral stands on the site of the great mosque, and Christopher Columbus lies inside. The Almohads completed the Giralda, the mosque's minaret, in 1198, and 35 ramps wind up to the bells. At its foot the Patio de los Naranjos keeps its rows of orange trees. Logistics: Madrid to Seville by high-speed train, about 2 hours 30 minutes, and a licensed driver meets you at Santa Justa.
Day Nine
Seville: Plaza de España, Triana and Paella with a View
Aníbal González designed the Plaza de España for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, a vast half-circle at the edge of María Luisa Park, where tiled alcoves stand for the provinces of Spain and four bridges cross the canal. Your licensed guide walks you through the park's gardens to the plaza in the morning, then across the Isabel II bridge into Triana, on the west bank of the Guadalquivir. Potters and tile makers have worked in Triana for centuries, and the neighborhood keeps a strong flamenco tradition. Beside the bridge, the Mercado de Triana keeps food stalls and tapas counters. At lunch, where your dates allow, a table above the river serves paella with a view across Seville's rooftops to the Giralda. Logistics: a walking day in Seville with your licensed guide, and a licensed driver for the transfers between the park and Triana.
Day Ten
Lisbon: Alfama and the Castle
Day ten is a travel day, and the afternoon belongs to Lisbon. Where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides in Lisbon and Sintra, meets you at the hotel. Alfama, the oldest district of the city, climbs the hill between the Tagus and São Jorge Castle, and its maze of lanes came through the earthquake of 1755. At the top, Afonso Henriques took the castle from Moorish rule in 1147, and the walls look out over the red roofs to the river. Where time allows, Luisa adds Belém, where work on the Jerónimos Monastery began in 1502 and the Tower of Belém commemorates the expedition of Vasco da Gama. Nearby, the Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém has sold its custard tarts since 1837, and they come warm from the oven. In the evening, where it suits your party, fado fills a small room in Alfama. Logistics: Seville to Lisbon by direct flight, about 1 hour, and a licensed driver meets you at Lisbon airport, about 7 kilometers northeast of the historic center.
Day Eleven
Sintra, Azenhas do Mar and Cabo da Roca
UNESCO inscribed Sintra as World Heritage in 1995 and calls it the first center of European Romantic architecture. Where your dates allow, Luisa leads the day. King Ferdinand II built the Pena Palace on a summit of the Sintra hills between 1842 and 1854, and its red and yellow walls rise above the forest. Where it suits your party, Luisa adds Monserrate, whose gardens hold more than 3,000 exotic species, or the Neo-Manueline Quinta da Regaleira. In the afternoon your licensed driver takes the coast road to Azenhas do Mar, a village of white houses stacked along a cliff above the Atlantic, whose name recalls the old watermills on the creek below. At Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, cliffs drop more than 100 meters to the sea and the wind carries salt off the waves. The road back runs through Cascais, where the royal family spent its summers from 1870. Logistics: Lisbon to Sintra by road, about 30 minutes, then the coast and back to Lisbon, with Luisa and your licensed driver.
Day Twelve
Madeira: Funchal and Pico dos Barcelos
Day twelve is a travel day, and the afternoon belongs to Funchal. Settlers under João Gonçalves Zarco founded the town in the 1420s, and they named it for the wild fennel, funcho, growing on the slopes. Your licensed driver-guide climbs first to the Pico dos Barcelos viewpoint, 355 meters up, where the whole amphitheater of Funchal falls away to the bay and, on clear days, the Desertas Islands sit on the horizon. Back in town, the Mercado dos Lavradores, opened in 1940 behind Art Deco tile panels, sells fruit, flowers and fish, and in the old town artists have painted the doors along Rua de Santa Maria. Where time allows, the Madeira Botanical Garden shows the island's native plants above the city. For dinner, our team reserves a table on request, and espetada arrives on bay laurel skewers with bolo do caco, the island's flatbread. Logistics: Lisbon to Funchal by direct flight, about 1 hour 45 minutes, and your licensed driver-guide meets you at Madeira airport, about 13 kilometers from Funchal.
Day Thirteen
Madeira: Levadas, Laurel Forest and Pico Ruivo
UNESCO inscribed the Laurisilva of Madeira in 1999, the largest surviving area of a laurel forest once common across southern Europe. Islanders cut the levadas, more than 2,170 kilometers of irrigation channels, from the 16th century onward to carry water from the wet northwest to the dry southeast, and their maintenance paths now serve as walking trails. Where it suits your party, the day starts at sunrise on Pico do Arieiro, whose viewpoint sits at 1,818 meters. Walkers take the mountain trail from there to Pico Ruivo, the island's highest peak at 1,861 meters, about 7 kilometers and 3 hours 30 minutes, while others follow a level levada through the forest, with the water running quietly beside the path. Your licensed driver-guide sets a picnic of local bread, cheese and fruit in the hills. Logistics: a full day by road across Madeira with your licensed driver-guide, with the walk set to your party's pace.
Day Fourteen
Porto: Tiles, Books and the Port Lodges
Day fourteen is a travel day, and the afternoon belongs to Porto. UNESCO inscribed the historic center of Porto, with the Dom Luís I bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar, in 1996. Your licensed driver-guide starts at the Capela das Almas, where Eduardo Leite designed 15,947 blue and white tiles for the outer walls in 1929, showing the lives of Saint Francis and Saint Catherine. A few streets away, Livraria Lello opened in 1906, and its forked wooden staircase climbs under a stained-glass skylight 8 meters long. Our team books the timed entry. The walk passes the Romanesque cathedral, begun in the 12th century, and drops through the steep lanes of Barredo into the Ribeira. Across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, port ages in cellars the locals call caves, and the day closes with a private visit and tasting among the barrels. Logistics: Funchal to Porto by direct flight, about 2 hours, and your licensed driver-guide meets you at Porto airport.
Day Fifteen
The Douro Valley
UNESCO inscribed the Alto Douro Wine Region in 2001, and growers have made wine on these slopes for some 2,000 years. Portugal has defined and regulated the quality of port since 1756. The oldest terraces, the socalcos, date from before the 1860s, narrow and held up by walls of schist, and later terraces climb the hills in long, regular rows. Where your dates allow, your licensed driver-guide arranges a visit to a family quinta, where you walk the vineyard, see how the estate makes its wine and taste it at the table. In the afternoon you choose a trip on the river in a rabelo, the flat-bottomed boat once used to carry wine down to Porto, or a stop at Pinhão station, where 24 tile panels from 1937 show the grape harvest and the boats on the river. Logistics: Porto to the Douro Valley by road, about 1 hour 15 minutes each way to Peso da Régua and longer to Pinhão, licensed driver-guide, with the return to Porto by evening.
Day Sixteen
Departure from Porto
The morning stays free for a last coffee in the Ribeira or a walk along the river under the Dom Luís I bridge. Porto's airport, named for Francisco Sá Carneiro, lies about 11 kilometers northwest of the center, and your licensed driver-guide collects you from the hotel with time to spare for your flight home. Our team arranges VIP airport assistance on request. Travelers who want more time often add a few nights in the Douro Valley before the flight home, and our team plans the extension on the same private basis. Logistics: hotel to Porto airport by road with your licensed driver-guide, with VIP assistance by prior arrangement.
What does a 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary look like?
A good 16-day Spain and Portugal itinerary gives about nine nights to Spain and six to Portugal, and uses a few short flights so no day goes to a long transfer. This route spends days one and two in Barcelona, days three to five on Mallorca, days six and seven in Madrid, days eight and nine in Seville, days ten and eleven in Lisbon and Sintra, days twelve and thirteen on Madeira, and days fourteen and fifteen in Porto and the Douro Valley. It flies into Barcelona and home from Porto, with every base two or three nights long.
How do you combine Mallorca and Madeira with Spain and Portugal?
You place each island between two runs of city days and reach it by a short direct flight. Mallorca sits under an hour by air from Barcelona and about 1 hour 30 minutes from Madrid, so it fits between Gaudí and the Prado without a lost day. Madeira lies about 1 hour 45 minutes by air from Lisbon and about 2 hours from Porto, so it fits between Sintra and the Douro. Three nights on Mallorca and two on Madeira give each island its full days. Our Madeira destination guide sets out what else the island offers.
Is 16 days enough for Spain and Portugal?
Sixteen days covers the four best-known cities of the two countries, Sintra, the Douro Valley and two islands at a steady pace, with two or three nights in each base. It leaves out Granada and the Alhambra, Toledo, Córdoba and the north of Spain, which the 14, 18 and 22-day routes include. Most travelers find the balance right if they want the coast and the mountains as much as the monuments. Our Spain and Portugal destination guides set out what else each country offers if you want to swap a region in.
This island route, or a mainland Spain and Portugal tour?
Choose this 16-day route if you want Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Lisbon and Porto in one trip and would rather spend five nights on two islands than in more mainland towns. It suits travelers who enjoy walking in the hills and by the sea, and who prefer a short flight to a long road day. The trade is five flights and no Alhambra.
The 14-day private Spain and Portugal tour serves you better if the Alhambra matters most. It runs Madrid, Toledo, Granada and Seville, crosses into Portugal by road through Évora, and continues to Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro, mostly by road and with no islands. The Barcelona to Lisbon private tour suits travelers who want Barcelona and Granada on the same trip, with a road crossing into Portugal along the Algarve coast.
The 18-day Best of Spain and Portugal tour adds Montserrat, Toledo, Granada, Ronda and the white villages, and reaches Lisbon through Évora and the Alentejo. The 22-day Spain and Portugal tour runs Barcelona to Lisbon through Bilbao, La Rioja, Andalusia, Porto and the Douro, for travelers with three weeks. The 16-day active Spain and Portugal tour matches this route in length but builds its days around hiking, kayaking and biking, from the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees to the Algarve coast and the Douro, so choose it if the outdoors leads your plans.
If one country fits your time better, the 14-day Portugal tour with Madeira keeps the Atlantic island inside a Portugal-only route, and the 12-day luxury honeymoon in Spain pairs Madrid and Barcelona with Mallorca. Our multi-country journeys page collects every combination.
Who this journey suits
Couples and friends who want both countries in one journey and like to balance city days with time on the water and in the hills. The islands give the trip two slower stretches, and the private format sets the pace around you, with long lunches and rest afternoons where they help.
Walkers, since the route holds a guided walk on the terraces of the Serra de Tramuntana and a levada or mountain trail on Madeira, each set to the pace of your party. Art and music travelers, since the same days run from Gaudí and Velázquez to Chopin’s cell in Valldemossa, flamenco in Madrid and fado in Lisbon.
Returning visitors, who saw Madrid or Andalusia years ago and now want the islands and Porto around the cities they remember. Families with teenage or adult children, who share the guide and the vehicle and set their own rhythm.
The people behind the route
Two people lead the visits many travelers remember on this route. In Madrid, where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads our Prado visits. On this route she takes the morning of day seven and builds it around the paintings you care about, from Las Meninas to Goya’s Black Paintings. Our article on the highlights of the Prado covers the collection in more depth.
In Lisbon and Sintra, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides, leads days ten and eleven alongside a licensed driver, from Alfama and the castle to the Pena Palace and the coast. On Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley, a licensed driver-guide, one person holding both licenses, looks after you. Everywhere else our team works with top licensed guides selected for their experience, knowledge and engaging personalities, not egos.
What the 16-day journey costs and what it includes
The 16-day route starts from $15,968 per person, double occupancy. The from-price covers fifteen nights in deluxe four-star properties selected for comfort, location and service. Five-star luxury properties are available by request. It includes licensed guides for the visits described, licensed drivers for airport, station and road transfers in Spain and Lisbon, and a licensed driver-guide on Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley.
Four things move the price: the season, the hotel category, the size of your party and the options you add, such as the cooking class in Barcelona, flamenco in Madrid, fado in Lisbon, a sunrise start on Madeira or a rabelo trip on the Douro. Magical Private Travel maintains excellent ratings on Trustpilot and Google’s independent review platforms. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
To shape these sixteen days around your dates and your party, speak with our team about your Spain and Portugal journey.
Frequently asked questions about the 16-day Spain and Portugal tour
How much does a 16-day private tour of Spain and Portugal cost?
This 16-day route starts from $15,968 per person, based on two people sharing a room. The from-price covers the route as written: fifteen hotel nights, licensed guides for the visits described, and licensed drivers or driver-guides for the road transfers, with the full list of inclusions set out in your written quote. Four things move the price. The season matters most, since hotel rates on Mallorca and in the cities rise and fall through the year. Five-star properties raise it. Party size changes it, because the guides and drivers serve the whole party, so larger private parties pay less per person. Added options, such as the cooking class in Barcelona, flamenco in Madrid, fado in Lisbon, a rabelo trip on the Douro or a sunrise start on Madeira, add to it. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
When is the best time for Spain, Portugal, Mallorca and Madeira?
April to June and September to October suit this route best. AEMET, Spain’s weather agency, records average daily highs in Seville of about 23°C (74°F) in April and 26°C (79°F) in October, against 36°C (97°F) in July. Madrid averages about 18°C (65°F) in April and 19°C (67°F) in October, Barcelona about 18°C (64°F) and 22°C (72°F), and Palma about 20°C (68°F) and 24°C (75°F). IPMA, Portugal’s weather institute, records average highs in Lisbon of about 20°C (68°F) in April and 23°C (73°F) in October, and in Porto about 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (69°F). Funchal stays mild all year, from about 20°C (67°F) in January to 26°C (80°F) in September. Summer departures work well with early starts in Seville and a swim on Mallorca. Our Madeira seasonal weather guide covers the island month by month.
How does the route travel between Spain, Portugal and the islands?
Five short direct flights and one high-speed train carry you between the seven bases. A direct flight links Barcelona and Palma in under an hour, and another links Palma and Madrid in about 1 hour 30 minutes. The high-speed train covers Madrid to Seville in about 2 hours 30 minutes. A direct flight links Seville and Lisbon in about 1 hour, another links Lisbon and Funchal in about 1 hour 45 minutes, and a flight of about 2 hours returns you from Madeira to Porto. A licensed driver meets every arrival in Spain and in Lisbon, and a licensed driver-guide meets you on Madeira and in Porto, so you never handle luggage between airport and hotel. On the ground the longest drive is the day trip into the Douro Valley, about 1 hour 15 minutes each way to Peso da Régua. Your planner times each connection around your hotel check-out and the day’s visits.
Why include Mallorca and Madeira instead of more mainland cities?
The islands give the route its own character and a slower pace between the cities. Mallorca brings the Serra de Tramuntana, which UNESCO inscribed in 2011 for its dry-stone terraces and old water channels, along with Valldemossa, where Chopin finished his Preludes, and Deià on its cliffs. Madeira brings the Laurisilva, a laurel forest UNESCO inscribed in 1999, the levada paths beside more than 2,170 kilometers of irrigation channels, and Pico Ruivo at 1,861 meters. Each island follows a run of city days, so the trip alternates museums and monuments with walks and long lunches. American travelers who prefer more monuments often choose the Alhambra and Toledo instead, and the decision section above points to the routes built around them.
Are the guide and the driver the same person?
In Spain they are two different people, on the mainland and on Mallorca alike. A licensed guide leads the visits and a licensed driver handles the vehicle and the road transfers, so your guide focuses on the site and your driver on the road. Your guide changes from city to city, so the guide in Seville knows Seville in depth and the guide in Palma knows Mallorca. In Lisbon and Sintra, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides, leads the days alongside a licensed driver. On Madeira, in Porto and in the Douro Valley a licensed driver-guide, one person holding both licenses, looks after you. Where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads the Prado visit in Madrid. Our team coordinates every handover, so you meet each new guide at the hotel, the station or the airport.
Which airports should we fly into and out of?
Fly into Barcelona and home from Porto. An open-jaw ticket of this kind avoids doubling back across two countries at the end of the trip. Barcelona-El Prat lies about 15 kilometers southwest of the city, and Porto’s airport about 11 kilometers northwest of the center, so both transfers stay short. Your licensed driver meets you at arrivals in Barcelona on day one, and your licensed driver-guide takes you to Porto airport on day sixteen. Our team arranges VIP airport assistance at both ends on request, covering the meet-and-greet and help through the terminal. If your flights fit better the other way, the route runs from Porto to Barcelona with the same bases in reverse. Our article on flying into Porto or Lisbon compares the two Portuguese gateways, and our team aligns the itinerary with your flight times.
How much walking do the island days involve?
As much or as little as your party prefers. On Mallorca, your licensed guide leads a walk on old paths between the terraces of the Serra de Tramuntana and sets the distance to your pace, and a day among the mountain villages replaces it for those who prefer. On Madeira, the trail from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo runs about 7 kilometers and about 3 hours 30 minutes, and suits regular walkers. Many levadas run almost level beside the water, and your licensed driver-guide chooses an easy stretch through the laurel forest where it helps. Several city days also involve cobbled slopes, especially in Alfama, Sintra and the Barredo lanes of Porto. Your guide is glad to advise on suitability before booking. Our page on accessible travel sets out how our team plans for travelers who need step-free routes or extra support.
Is it possible to add Granada and the Alhambra?
Yes, and the cleanest way adds two nights. Granada fits between Madrid and Seville: the high-speed train runs from Madrid to Granada, and the road from Granada to Seville takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, so the route keeps its order. Our team books the timed entry to the Nasrid Palaces once you confirm your dates, and where your dates allow, Israel, one of our licensed guides in Granada, leads the Alhambra day. The extra nights turn the journey into eighteen days. Travelers who want the Alhambra and have no strong pull toward the islands often choose the 14-day private Spain and Portugal tour or the 18-day Best of Spain and Portugal tour instead. Your planner prices both options side by side.
How flexible is the 16-day route?
The route works as a starting point, and your planner shapes it around your party. Common changes include a third night on Madeira for a second walking day, a night in the Douro Valley instead of the day trip from Porto, a day trip from Madrid to Toledo, or a swap of Mallorca for more time in Barcelona and Montserrat. Some travelers drop one island to slow the pace, and others add the Algarve coast between Seville and Lisbon. Food lovers often add the market visit and cooking class in Barcelona, and art lovers add the Reina Sofía in Madrid for Picasso’s Guernica. Our team confirms timings, ticketed entries and hotel nights once you settle the shape of the trip, and sends a revised written quote for each version.
We keep a list of vetted four- and five-star hotels, well located and enjoyed by our past travelers and by our own team.
Examples for each overnight stop on this route. Choose a deluxe boutique hotel or a five-star stay, and your travel advisor matches each night to your wishes, the season and availability.
Barcelona
Boutique: H10 Casa Mimosa. A listed 19th-century Modernista building on Pau Claris, on the same block as Gaudí’s La Pedrera.
Five-star: Mandarin Oriental Barcelona. A former bank on Passeig de Gràcia turned into a calm, pale-toned hotel with a rooftop pool.
Mallorca
Boutique: Hotel Cort. A design hotel on Palma’s Plaça de Cort, facing the 17th-century town hall and its olive tree.
Five-star: Sant Francesc Hotel Singular. An 1860 mansion beside the Basilica of Sant Francesc, with a rooftop pool over the old-town roofs.
Madrid
Boutique: Tótem Madrid. A restored 19th-century building on Calle Hermosilla, steps from Serrano’s shops in the Salamanca district.
Five-star: Rosewood Villa Magna. Reopened by Rosewood in 2021 on the Paseo de la Castellana, with a leafy front garden.
Seville
Boutique: Hotel Casa 1800 Sevilla. A 19th-century mansion with a patio and a rooftop pool facing the cathedral and Giralda.
Five-star: Hotel Alfonso XIII. Built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, a neo-Mudéjar palace of tiles and arches near the Alcázar.
Lisbon
Boutique: Memmo Alfama. A design hotel on an Alfama lane, with a pool beside its wine-bar terrace over the Tagus.
Five-star: Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. A 1959 landmark beside Eduardo VII Park, filled with mid-century Portuguese art and tapestries.
Madeira
Boutique: Quinta do Monte Panoramic Gardens. A manor estate in Monte above Funchal, set in old gardens two minutes from the cable car.
Five-star: Reid’s Palace, A Belmond Hotel. An 1891 clifftop hotel above Funchal, known for afternoon tea on its ocean terrace.
Porto
Boutique: Torel 1884. An 1884 palace near São Bento station, with rooms themed on Portugal’s voyages of discovery.
Five-star: The Yeatman. Terraced into the Gaia hillside among the port lodges, every room with a terrace facing Porto.
What's Included
A Very Personalized Itinerary, Just For You and Your Schedule
Hand-Picked Ultra-Luxury & Boutique Hotel Options
Insider Experiences + Inspiring Sightseeing + Magical Upgrades
Private Touring with Your Own Personal Expert Guide
Private Airport & Train Station Luxury Transfers
Full Breakfasts + Food & Wine Tasting Options
Your Choice of Activities on “Design Your Days”®
Expert Advice, Restaurant Ideas & Reservations
24/7 Support & Concierge Service from Spain, Portugal & Morocco
Magical is an award-winning luxury travel agency
Private journeys with soul & stories
Excellent independent reviews
Only five journeys per country, per week
Hidden gems, insider fun & vetted hotels
Your private guide, deluxe vehicle & flexible pace
24/7 concierge-style support
We handle everything — you live the dream
American Precision, Local Soul
Our Unforgettable Trips Are Tailored Just For You
Hi from Europe,
Along with our local partners across Portugal, Spain, Morocco and beyond we believe that our clients deserve the truly tailor-made private luxury trips, not generic "one-size-fits-all" plans.
Get inspired with our sample trips then get in touch about an expert-made personalized custom luxury itinerary, just for you.
Kind regards,
Dan O'Beirne & the MPT team
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