Multi-CountryPortugalSpain · 22 days · Private and tailor-made
Spain and Portugal, Rioja to the Douro
Have Pena Palace to yourselves after closing, by private arrangement, high above Sintra.
By arrangement · How private access worksSuggested length
22 days
Price guide
From $23,624 per person, excl. international flights, based on two sharing. Family rates for 2+ children under 21.
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 · 17,000+ American travelers · Never cancelled a journey
Twenty-two days from Barcelona through Rioja and Andalusia to the Douro and Lisbon, for travelers who love wine and good food, at your pace.
- Taste Rioja in the old cellars of Haro’s station quarter
- Walk the hilltop lanes of Laguardia above the Rioja Alavesa vineyards
- Walk the Nasrid Palaces and the Court of the Lions with Israel in Granada
- Lunch at a family quinta above the Douro, with wines from its own terraces
- Have Sintra’s Pena Palace to yourselves after closing, by private arrangement
- Taste pintxos in Bilbao’s Seven Streets, where the counters fill with the day’s toppings
“Hi from Europe. After planning luxury travel from Iberia since 2002, we have key relationships across our destinations and the judgment to tailor trips wisely for our discerning clients. Get our experience, relationships and insider savvy on your side. See our reviews and request a custom itinerary.”
Dan O’Beirne, American Founder · Iberia-Based Travel Specialist · Travel Leaders Network member. As featured in USA Today, & Euro Business News · Game of Thrones location consultant.
A Journey Designed Just for You
Our resident experts wrote this itinerary as a starting point, and your planner shapes every day around your interests, pace and travel style.
What do our American travelers say?
The 22-day Spain and Portugal itinerary at a glance
The route uses ten bases and twenty-one nights: three in Barcelona, one in Bilbao, two in La Rioja, three in Madrid, two in Granada, two in Seville, two in Córdoba, two in Porto, two in the Douro Valley and two in Lisbon. Fifteen nights fall in Spain and six in Portugal. Bilbao is the only one-night stop, because the Guggenheim and the old town fill one full day and La Rioja lies about an hour to the south.
Two short flights and one high-speed train cover the three long connections, so the road days stay short. A direct flight links Barcelona and Bilbao in about 1 hour 15 minutes, the high-speed train runs from Madrid to Granada in about 3 hours, and a direct flight from Seville to Porto takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. A licensed driver handles everything else by road: about 1 hour from Bilbao to Haro, a little over 3 hours from La Rioja to Madrid, about 2 hours 45 minutes from Granada to Seville, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Seville to Córdoba, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Porto into the Douro Valley, and about 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours from the Douro to Lisbon.
Spring and autumn suit a route this long, from the Bay of Biscay to Andalusia. 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, while Bilbao averages about 18°C (64°F) in April and 21°C (71°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, and in Porto about 18°C (64°F) and 20°C (69°F).
Licensed guides we work with on this route include Irma and Mariona in Barcelona, Ana and Alicia in Madrid, Melanie in Toledo, Israel and Rafael in Granada, Andrés and Rosario in Seville, Susana and Tania in Porto, and Luisa and Anabela in Lisbon. 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 Lisbon
The route follows the peninsula from northeast to southwest, so you never double back across a country. Barcelona and the north come first, with Gaudí, Montserrat, the Guggenheim and the vineyards of La Rioja. Madrid sits at the center, the hinge between the north and the south, and Toledo lies about an hour from the capital. From Madrid the high-speed train drops straight into Granada, and the road runs on to Seville and back east to Córdoba, so Córdoba gets two full days instead of a rushed stop between trains.
Portugal comes last and runs north to south. The flight from Seville lands you in Porto, at the mouth of the Douro, and the river leads inland to the terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley. From the valley the road runs south to Lisbon, where the journey ends with Belém, Alfama, Sintra and the Atlantic cliffs at Cabo da Roca. Lisbon’s airport sits about 7 kilometers northeast of the historic center, so the last transfer stays short.
The thread through all three weeks is wine and building. The route pairs two wine regions, La Rioja and the Douro, with the three great monuments of al-Andalus in Granada, Seville and Córdoba, and with the modern work of Gaudí, Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid and Álvaro Siza. Your planner treats the route as a starting point and moves nights between bases to fit your dates and interests.
Journey at a glance
Length
22 days
From
$23,624 per person, double occupancy
Family rates for 2+ children under 21
Route
Barcelona, Montserrat, Bilbao, La Rioja, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Córdoba, Porto, Douro Valley, Lisbon, Sintra
Your planner adjusts every day to your dates.
Day One
Barcelona: The Gothic Quarter and La Boqueria
Your licensed driver meets you at Barcelona airport. In the afternoon, your licensed guide walks you into the Gothic Quarter, where stretches of the Roman wall stand among medieval streets and the carved bridge over Carrer del Bisbe looks medieval yet dates from 1928. The walk ends at La Boqueria on La Rambla, where stalls of jamón, olives, fruit and fresh fish line the aisles.
Day Two
Gaudí's Barcelona
Your licensed guide takes you through Gaudí's best-known works, starting at the Sagrada Família, where the Nativity Façade and the crypt were his own work. Then head up to Park Güell, where Jujol's serpentine bench curves around the main terrace in bright ceramic mosaic and the salamander locals call El Drac guards the stairway.
Day Three
Montserrat and the Catalan Countryside
Head up to Montserrat, where a Benedictine monastery has stood among saw-toothed rock towers since 1025. In the basilica, La Moreneta, the dark Virgin and patron saint of Catalonia, draws pilgrims every day, and where the schedule allows, the Escolania boys' choir sings into the vaults. In the afternoon, opt for a light walk on the mountain paths or a tasting at a winery in the countryside below.
Day Four
Bilbao and the Guggenheim
Fly to Bilbao. Your licensed guide walks you through Frank Gehry's Guggenheim, its curving walls covered in some 33,000 titanium plates, and out to Jeff Koons's Puppy at the entrance. In the late afternoon, cross into the Casco Viejo and its Seven Streets. The evening belongs to the pintxos bars, where slices of bread piled with the day's toppings line the counters and the talk runs in Spanish and Basque.
Day Five
La Rioja: Haro and the Station Quarter
Head south to Haro, where seven Rioja bodegas stand together in the quarter beside the railway station. At López de Heredia, founded in 1877, a pavilion by Zaha Hadid's studio encloses a timber stand from the 1910 world fair, and your licensed guide shows you how the old and the new sit together. Where your dates allow, taste at family wineries in cellars where the air turns cool and smells of oak.
Day Six
Laguardia and the Rioja Alavesa
Laguardia sits on a hilltop above the vineyards, ringed by medieval walls with five of its old gates still standing. Your licensed guide walks you to the church of Santa María de los Reyes, whose Gothic portal keeps its 17th-century paint. Outside town, see Santiago Calatrava's Bodegas Ysios among the vines. In the afternoon, opt for a walk through the vineyards or a picnic with local wines and cheeses.
Day Seven
Madrid and the Prado
Drive south across Castile to Madrid. Where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads the afternoon at the Prado, through Velázquez's Las Meninas and Goya's Black Paintings, and where time allows, your guide adds the Reina Sofía or the Thyssen. In the early evening, opt for a tasting of Spanish olive oils, cheeses and wines.
Day Eight
Royal Madrid and the Retiro
Your licensed guide leads you through the state rooms of the Royal Palace to a complete Stradivarius string quintet in the royal collection. Walk east to the Puerta del Sol, where a plaque marks Kilometer Zero for Spain's roads and a bronze bear reaches into a strawberry tree, the emblem of Madrid. The afternoon ends in the Retiro, 120 hectares of gardens and shaded paths.
Day Nine
Toledo, City of Three Cultures
Toledo, the city of three cultures, rises on its rock above the Tagus. Your licensed guide starts at the cathedral, where the sacristy holds fifteen paintings by El Greco, then leads you to the Synagogue of El Tránsito, home of the Sephardic Museum. Above the old town, the Alcázar crowns the hill. Before you leave, taste mazapán, Toledo's protected almond sweet.
Day Ten
Granada and the Alhambra
Take the high-speed train south to Granada. Where your dates allow, Israel, one of our licensed guides in Granada, leads the afternoon at the Alhambra. In the Palace of the Lions, twelve marble lions carry the fountain, with a poem around the rim of its basin. Water slides through narrow channels across the courtyards, and the Generalife steps down the hill among orchards and gardens.
Day Eleven
Granada: The Albaicín and the Cármenes
Your licensed guide walks you up the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter, past cármenes, whitewashed houses with their own gardens and small orchards. At the Mirador de San Nicolás, the whole length of the Alhambra faces you across the valley, its towers warm in the late sun. In the evening, your guide recommends a table in the lower town, an easy walk from your hotel.
Day Twelve
Seville: The Cathedral and Santa Cruz
Drive west to Seville. Your licensed guide leads you to the cathedral, where Christopher Columbus lies, below the Giralda, the old minaret turned bell tower. Walk through the Patio de los Naranjos, where a fountain sits among rows of orange trees, and on into Santa Cruz, where narrow lanes open onto small squares shaded by more orange trees.
Day Thirteen
Seville: The Alcázar, Plaza de España and Triana
Your licensed guide takes you through the courtyards and gardens of the Real Alcázar, King Pedro I's Mudéjar palace, then on to the tiled Plaza de España. In the afternoon, cross the bridge into Triana, the quarter of potters, tile makers and flamenco, where the market keeps food stalls and tapas counters. Where your dates allow, end with lunch above the city or an evening of flamenco.
Day Fourteen
Córdoba and the Mezquita
Drive to Córdoba, where roughly 850 columns of jasper, onyx, marble and granite carry the red and white arches of the Mezquita, and your licensed guide shows you how the cathedral sits inside the mosque. In the afternoon, walk the old Jewish quarter and the flower-filled patios. Lunch starts with salmorejo, Córdoba's cold cream of tomato and bread, topped with ham and egg.
Day Fifteen
Medina Azahara or a Córdoba Kitchen
Choose the shape of the day. Your licensed guide leads you across the terraces of Medina Azahara, the caliph's palace-city of 936, through the remains of its halls, gardens and streets. Or, where your dates allow, turn the day to food, with an olive oil tasting and a chef cooking Andalusian dishes in front of you. An evening walk across the Roman Bridge ends the day.
Day Sixteen
Porto: São Bento, Ribeira and the Dom Luís I Bridge
Fly to Porto. At São Bento station, about 20,000 blue and white tiles cover the hall, and your licensed driver-guide stops with you under the panels. Down in the Ribeira, look up at the two-deck Dom Luís I bridge, designed by a former partner of Gustave Eiffel. For dinner, try a francesinha, Porto's toasted sandwich of layered meats under melted cheese and a tomato and beer sauce.
Day Seventeen
Porto: The River, Gaia and Serralves
Where your dates allow, a private boat carries you along the Douro under Porto's bridges, with the colored houses of the Ribeira stacked up the bank. Across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, your licensed driver-guide leads a visit and tasting among the port barrels. In the afternoon, Serralves shows a different Porto, with Álvaro Siza's art museum and an Art Deco villa in a large park.
Day Eighteen
Into the Douro Valley
Head east into the Alto Douro, a UNESCO wine region where narrow terraces held up by schist walls climb the hills. At Pinhão station, blue and white tile panels show the harvest and the boats carrying port downriver. Your licensed driver-guide leads you through the river villages and up to viewpoints over the bends of the Douro, where the terraces fold away in every direction.
Day Nineteen
Douro Valley Wine Estates
Where your dates allow, our team arranges a private visit and lunch at a family quinta, with wines from the estate's own terraces poured on a shaded terrace above the river. Your licensed driver-guide walks you through the vines and the winery, and in September, where available, you see grapes crushed by foot in granite tanks. In the afternoon, choose the river, a walk among the vines or a quiet terrace.
Day Twenty
Lisbon: Belém and the Castle
A long road day brings you south to Lisbon, with a stop for lunch. In the afternoon, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides in Lisbon and Sintra, meets you in Belém, at the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém, with custard tarts warm from the oven nearby. At dusk, climb to São Jorge Castle for the view over the Tagus, and opt for an evening of fado.
Day Twenty One
Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Cascais
Where your dates allow, Luisa leads the day. Start at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe, where the wind carries salt off the sea, and continue to Cascais, once a fishing village and later a royal summer retreat. By private arrangement, end the day at Sintra's red and yellow Pena Palace, with the palace to yourselves after closing.
Day Twenty Two
Departure from Lisbon
The morning stays free for a last coffee in the Chiado or a walk along the river. Your licensed driver collects you at a time set around your flight, with VIP airport assistance on request. With more time, our team adds the Alentejo or the Algarve.
Getting around
- Day 1: Barcelona airport to central Barcelona with your licensed driver.
- Day 2: A full guided day in Barcelona, with your licensed driver for the transfers.
- Day 3: Barcelona to Montserrat, about 1 hour each way.
- Day 4: Barcelona to Bilbao by direct flight, about 1 hour 15 minutes, met by a licensed driver.
- Day 5: Bilbao to Haro by road, about 1 hour.
- Day 6: A full day in the Rioja Alavesa, with short drives between Laguardia, the vineyards and your hotel.
- Day 7: La Rioja to Madrid by road, a little over 3 hours with a stop.
- Day 8: A walking day in central Madrid.
- Day 9: Madrid to Toledo, about 1 hour each way.
- Day 10: Madrid to Granada by high-speed train, about 3 hours, met by a licensed driver.
- Day 11: A walking day in Granada, with your licensed driver for the climb to the Albaicín.
- Day 12: Granada to Seville by road, about 2 hours 45 minutes.
- Day 13: A walking day in Seville, with a licensed driver for the transfers.
- Day 14: Seville to Córdoba by road, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Day 15: A short drive from Córdoba to Medina Azahara and back.
- Day 16: Córdoba to Seville airport, about 1 hour 45 minutes, then a direct flight to Porto, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Day 17: A day in Porto, with the crossing to Gaia and the drive to Serralves.
- Day 18: Porto to the Douro, about 1 hour 15 minutes to Peso da Régua.
- Day 19: A day in the Douro, with short drives between the estates.
- Day 20: The Douro to Lisbon by road, about 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours.
- Day 21: Lisbon to Cabo da Roca, Cascais and Sintra by road, back to Lisbon in the evening.
- Day 22: Hotel to Lisbon airport with your licensed driver.
- In Spain, a licensed guide leads each visit and a licensed driver handles every transfer. In Portugal, a licensed driver-guide travels with you, with Luisa in Lisbon and Sintra.
What does a 3-week Spain and Portugal itinerary look like?
A good 3-week Spain and Portugal itinerary gives about two weeks to Spain and one to Portugal, and links the regions with a few short flights and one fast train so no day goes to a long transfer. This 22-day route spends fifteen nights in Spain, across Barcelona, the Basque Country, La Rioja, Madrid, Granada, Seville and Córdoba, and six in Portugal, across Porto, the Douro Valley and Lisbon. It covers the four big cities of the two countries, the Moorish south and two wine regions, and it ends a short drive from Lisbon’s airport. Our team plans it as a starting point and moves nights between bases to fit your interests.
Is three weeks enough for Spain and Portugal?
Three weeks covers the main regions of Spain and the classic line of Portugal from Porto to Lisbon at an unhurried pace, with two or three nights in most places. It leaves out the Azores, the Algarve, the Alentejo, San Sebastián and Segovia, which the longer 25 and 30-day routes add. Most travelers find the balance right: enough time in each base to settle in, and enough variety across the two countries to see how different the Basque Country, Andalusia and the Douro feel. Our Spain and Portugal destination guides set out what else each country offers if you want to swap a region in.
What does a 22-day Spain and Portugal tour add over two weeks?
The extra week buys Barcelona, the north of Spain and the time to slow down. Our 14-day Spain and Portugal private tour runs Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville, Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and the Douro, and leaves out Barcelona, Bilbao, La Rioja and Córdoba. This 22-day route keeps all of those cities and adds the Basque Country and La Rioja, with Gaudí at one end and the Atlantic at the other. It also gives most bases two nights instead of one, so the Alhambra, the Mezquita and the Douro each get a full day.
Three weeks, or 18, 25 or 30 days in Spain and Portugal?
Choose this 22-day route if you want Barcelona, the north of Spain, Andalusia and the Porto to Lisbon line in one trip, with two wine regions, no islands and no day longer than about four hours on the road. It suits travelers who prefer cities and vineyards to beaches, and who have three weeks rather than a month.
The 14-day Barcelona to Lisbon tour serves you better if three weeks feels long or you favor the south. It keeps Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Seville, adds the Algarve coast, and reaches Lisbon, Sintra and Évora. It leaves out Bilbao, La Rioja, Córdoba, Porto and the Douro, and starts from $14,892 per person.
The 30-day Grand Tour of Spain and Portugal suits travelers who want the Azores. It starts on São Miguel, then runs Porto, the Douro, Lisbon, Sintra, the Alentejo, the Algarve, Seville, Córdoba, Ronda, Granada, Madrid with Toledo and Segovia, La Rioja and San Sebastián, and ends in Barcelona.
The 30-day Spain and Portugal private tour suits travelers with a full month. It keeps most of the cities on this page, swaps Bilbao for San Sebastián, adds the Azores, the Alentejo, the Algarve coast, Ronda, the white villages and Segovia, finishes in Barcelona and starts from $29,940 per person. If you would rather spend all three weeks in one country, our 22-day private tour of Spain trades Portugal for Málaga, Ronda, the Basque coast and San Sebastián. Our multi-country journeys page collects every combination.
Who this journey suits
Couples and friends with three weeks free, often at a stage of life when a long trip finally fits, who want both countries in one journey and prefer two or three nights in a place to a new hotel every day. The private format sets the pace around you, with lunches, rest afternoons and early starts where the heat calls for them.
Wine travelers, since the route pairs La Rioja and the Douro, with tastings in the cellars of Haro, among the vines around Laguardia, in the port cellars of Gaia and at a family quinta above the river. Architecture travelers, since the same three weeks run from the Alhambra, the Mezquita and the Jerónimos Monastery to Gaudí, Gehry, Calatrava, Zaha Hadid and Siza.
Families with teenage or adult children, who share the guide’s attention and the vehicle and set their own rhythm. Returning visitors, who saw Madrid or Barcelona years ago and now want the north, Córdoba and the Douro around the cities they remember.
The people behind the route
Three people lead the visits most travelers remember on this route. Where your dates allow, Israel, one of our licensed guides in Granada, leads Alhambra days. On this route the visit falls on the afternoon of day ten, after the morning train from Madrid, and the Albaicín follows on day eleven.
In Madrid, where your dates allow, Ana, an art historian, leads our Prado visits through Velázquez, Goya and the Spanish court painters. 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 the Belém, castle and Sintra days alongside a licensed driver. Everywhere else on the route our team works with top licensed guides selected for their experience, knowledge and engaging personalities, not egos.
What the 22-day journey costs and what it includes
The 22-day route starts from $23,624 per person, double occupancy. The from-price covers twenty-one 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 and road transfers, and timed entry to the Alhambra’s Nasrid Palaces.
Four things move the price: the season, the hotel category, the size of your party and the experiences you add, such as the private boat on the Douro, winery lunches in La Rioja and the Douro, an olive oil tasting in Córdoba, flamenco in Seville or fado in Lisbon. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
To shape these three weeks around your dates and your party, speak with our team about your Spain and Portugal journey.
Frequently asked questions about the 22-day Spain and Portugal tour
How much does a 22-day private tour of Spain and Portugal cost?
This 22-day route starts from $23,624 per person, based on two people sharing a room. The from-price covers the route as written: twenty-one hotel nights, licensed guides for the visits described and licensed drivers 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 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 experiences, such as a private boat on the Douro, a winery lunch in La Rioja or a fado evening in Lisbon, add to it. Our team sends a written quote for your dates and party before you commit.
When is the best time for three weeks in Spain and Portugal?
April to June and September to October suit this route best, because it runs from the Bay of Biscay to Andalusia. 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. Granada averages about 21°C (69°F) in April and 23°C (74°F) in October, Madrid about 18°C (65°F) and 19°C (67°F), Barcelona about 18°C (64°F) and 22°C (72°F), and Bilbao about 18°C (64°F) and 21°C (71°F). IPMA, Portugal’s weather institute, records average highs in Porto of about 18°C (64°F) in April and 20°C (69°F) in October, and in Lisbon about 20°C (68°F) and 23°C (73°F). Summer departures work well with early starts in the south and lunch indoors. September brings the grape harvest to the Douro, and our team plans each day around the season you choose.
How do you travel between Spain and Portugal on this route?
A direct flight from Seville to Porto, about 1 hour 15 minutes, carries you across on day sixteen. Your licensed driver takes you from Córdoba to Seville airport in the morning, about 1 hour 45 minutes by road, and your licensed driver-guide meets you at Porto airport. The flight replaces a long day on the road across the west of the peninsula and gives you the afternoon in Porto. Inside Spain, the route uses one more direct flight, Barcelona to Bilbao, about 1 hour 15 minutes, and the high-speed train from Madrid to Granada, about 3 hours. Every other connection runs by road with a licensed driver, and within Portugal the road carries you from Porto into the Douro Valley and on to Lisbon. If you prefer to stay on the ground, our team prices a road crossing into Portugal instead and adjusts the days to fit.
Are the guide and the driver the same person?
In Spain they are two different people. 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 region to region, so the guide in Granada knows Granada in depth and the guide in Barcelona knows Barcelona. In Lisbon and Sintra, where your dates allow, Luisa, one of our licensed guides, leads the days alongside a licensed driver. In Porto and the Douro Valley a licensed driver-guide, one person holding both licenses, looks after you. Where your dates allow, named specialists lead the key visits: Israel at the Alhambra and Ana, an art historian, at the Prado. Our team coordinates every handover, so you meet each new guide at the hotel or the station.
Which airports should we fly into and out of?
Fly into Barcelona and home from Lisbon. 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 central Barcelona, and Lisbon’s airport about 7 kilometers northeast of the historic center, so both transfers stay short. Your licensed driver meets you at arrivals in Barcelona on day one and takes you to Lisbon airport on day twenty-two. 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 Lisbon 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 once you book them.
Do we need to book the Alhambra in advance?
Yes, and our team handles it. Every Alhambra ticket including the Nasrid Palaces carries a set time for entering the palaces, and the Alhambra’s own ticket office asks visitors to arrive on time for the slot. Visitors buying or collecting tickets at the monument must do so at least one hour before their assigned time. For these reasons our team books the timed entry as soon as you confirm your dates, and your licensed guide plans the rest of the day around it, with the Alcazaba and the Generalife before or after the palaces. On this route the train from Madrid arrives in time for an afternoon slot on day ten. Where your dates allow, Israel, one of our licensed guides in Granada, leads the visit.
How many hotel changes does the 22-day route involve?
Nine changes across ten bases. Barcelona and Madrid get three nights each, Bilbao gets one, and every other base gets two, so every base except Bilbao gives you at least one full day with no transfer. Bilbao is the only one-night stop, because the Guggenheim and the old town fill one full day and La Rioja lies about an hour south. American travelers who prefer fewer moves often drop the Bilbao night and visit the Guggenheim as a day trip from La Rioja, or stay in Seville for both Seville and Córdoba, and our team rebalances the nights to suit. Your licensed driver handles the luggage on every road day, so a hotel change means a morning departure and an afternoon arrival, nothing more.
How flexible is the 22-day route?
The route works as a starting point, and your planner shapes it around your party. Common changes include adding a night in Madrid for Segovia, swapping Córdoba for Ronda and the white villages between Granada and Seville, adding San Sebastián after Bilbao, or ending with a few nights in the Alentejo or on the Algarve coast before Lisbon. Our article on Córdoba or Ronda between Granada and Seville explains the first of those choices. Food lovers often add a market tour or a cooking class in Seville or Porto, 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.
Does this journey suit families or travelers with limited mobility?
Families travel this route often, because a private guide and driver set the pace around the youngest and the oldest in the party. Teenagers tend to respond to the Guggenheim, the Alhambra, the Gaudí buildings and the boat on the Douro, and the two-night bases leave room for a pool afternoon. Several days involve walking on cobbled streets and slopes, especially in Toledo, the Albaicín in Granada, Laguardia and Sintra, and the Alhambra visit runs on foot across a large hillside site. Your guide is glad to advise on suitability before booking, and our team adjusts walking routes, adds vehicle time between sites, or shortens days where it helps. Our page on accessible travel sets out how our team plans for travelers who need step-free routes or extra support.
Who do we contact if something goes wrong or we want a change?
Your planner designs your journey with you and stays in touch after you land. For the fastest response at any hour, message your private WhatsApp group, where our 24/7 support team works alongside Rachel or Dan. Because we begin no more than five journeys per country each week, peak spring and fall dates fill early, and that limit is what lets us stay this close to every trip.
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.
Bilbao
Boutique: Hotel Miró. Fashion designer Antonio Miró’s hotel on Alameda Mazarredo, across from the Guggenheim.
Five-star: The Artist Grand Hotel of Art. Directly opposite the Guggenheim, with Javier Mariscal interiors and a large art-filled atrium.
La Rioja
Boutique: Hotel Viura. Stacked concrete cubes beside the village church in Villabuena de Álava, with a rooftop terrace.
Five-star: Hotel Marqués de Riscal. Frank Gehry’s titanium ribbons over the Marqués de Riscal winery in Elciego.
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.
Granada
Boutique: Parador de Granada. A 15th-century Franciscan convent inside the Alhambra precinct, with gardens facing the Generalife.
Five-star: Hospes Palacio de los Patos. A 19th-century palace beside a contemporary wing, linked by gardens, with a spa below.
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.
Córdoba
Boutique: Balcón de Córdoba. A century-old house with three patios and a rooftop terrace looking at the Mezquita.
Five-star: Hospes Palacio del Bailío. A 16th-century palace built over Roman remains, seen through the glass floor of its patio.
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.
Douro Valley
Boutique: Quinta do Vallado Wine Hotel. An 18th-century house once owned by Dona Antónia Ferreira, plus a modern schist building among vineyards.
Five-star: Six Senses Douro Valley. A restored 19th-century manor near Lamego, above Douro vine terraces, with a large spa.
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.
What's Included
A personalized itinerary, built around you and your schedule
Hand-picked luxury and boutique hotels
Insider experiences, inspiring sightseeing and magical upgrades
Private touring with your own personal expert guide
Private luxury transfers from airports and train stations
Full breakfasts, plus food and wine tasting options
Your choice of activities on “Design Your Days”®
Expert advice, restaurant ideas and reservations
24/7 support and concierge service from Spain, Portugal and Morocco
Magical is an award-winning luxury travel agency
Private journeys with soul & stories
Excellent independent reviews
Your private WhatsApp group with our 24/7 team and Rachel or Dan
Hidden gems, insider fun & vetted hotels
Your private guide, deluxe vehicle & flexible pace
24/7 concierge-style support
Life is short, vacation memorably
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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