Summary
This amazing Tour of Northern Spain and Portugal (8 days) from Madrid will offer you the opportunity to discover the northern part of 2 countries during the same trip. You will visit cities such as Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, Santillana del Mar, Covadonga, Oviedo, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Vigo and Salamanca in Spain and Porto in Portugal. During this trip you will discover incredible places and you will enjoy a visit and tasting of Port wine at local wine cellar in Porto. If you are a solo traveler willing to join a group, this tour also suits you as you can be accommodated in a single room (Single Room Supplement: 350 €). This is a group guided tour that starts from Madrid every Sunday from March 24, 2024 to October 27, 2024.
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Maria
Local travel expert in Spain
I speak English and Spanish. I studied tourism in Madrid, and I have more than 7 years’ work experience in travel agencies. My passion for travelling around Spain and Europe, made me discover new places and offer different routes around my country and some of its neighbours.
Itinerary
In the morning, you will depart from Madrid at 8:00 a.m. towards Zaragoza. You will make a short stop and have free time to discover the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Patroness of the Hispanic people. It is considered the first Marian temple of Christianity and together with the sanctuaries of Torreciudad, Montserrat, Meritxell and Lourdes make up the Marian Route, an itinerary guided by Marian spirituality and devotion, which possesses a great patrimonial, gastronomic and natural wealth.
Next, you will continue you trip to San Sebastian.
Dinner and accommodation in San Sebastian.
After breakfast at the hotel, you will depart to Bilbao, capital of the province of Vizcaya. You will make a short stop in order to admire the avant-garde building of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, work of the American architect Frank Gehry that represents an architectural milestone for its bold configuration and innovative design. Frank Gehry’s design creates a spectacular structure perfectly integrated into the urban concept of Bilbao and its surroundings. Since its installation, an imposing size guard dog known as Puppy and designed by Jeff Koons guards the doors of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao completely covered in tens of thousands of flowers. It does not matter if it rains or it is sunny, the West Highland white terrier is always alert, has welcomed visitors for more than two decades bringing admiration and joy to the spectators.
You will continue your trip to Santander where you will more have some free time.
Dinner and accommodation in Santander.
In the morning, you will travel to Santillana del Mar, a city considered a National Monument, being one of the places of highest historical and artistic value in Spain.
You will continue your journey through beautiful landscapes to reach Covadonga, where you will have free time to visit the Sanctuary, a place of high historical, natural and spiritual value, and cradle of a mythical monarchy. It is located in the Picos de Europa National Park and the first National Park of Spain.
Later, you will travel to Oviedo.
Dinner and accommodation in Oviedo.
The day will begin with the departure to the region of Galicia to reach the city of A Coruña where you will enjoy a short panoramic tour. The city is known for the Tower of Hercules that is a tower and lighthouse located on a hill on A Coruña peninsula, in Galicia and has the privilege of being the oldest Roman lighthouse currently in use. It is the third-tallest lighthouse in Spain and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the afternoon, an optional excursion could be organized to the Rías Altas through the typical villages of Pontedeume, Betanzos, etc.
Dinner and accommodation in A Coruña.
In the morning, you will travel to Santiago de Compostela. You will enjoy a guided tour of the city of Santiago de Compostela, an important pilgrimage centre with its Plaza del Obradoiro, Cathedral, etc.
Free afternoon.
Dinner and accommodation in Santiago de Compostela.
The day will begin with the departure to the Spanish Fiords (Rias Bajas), through splendid and spectacular landscapes with a brief stop on La Toja island. You will make a stop at O Grove in order to take an optional tour on a catamaran and see an oyster and mussel farm.
You will continue your trip to Vigo where you will have some free time.
Optional excursion to Santa Tecla. You will cross the Minho River at the border of Spain and Portugal and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Minho before arriving in Porto.
Accommodation in Porto.
After breakfast, you will discover Porto, a city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You will enjoy a guided tour of the city of Porto with the Cathedral, the Stock Exchange Palace and St. Clara Church, a temple of Gothic origin, the construction of which dates back to the first half of the 15th century. You will end the tour at a local winery where you will taste the world-famous “Port wine”.
This Tour of Northern Spain and Portugal includes some free time on this day, so that you could enjoy an optional cruise down the Duero River.
Accommodation in Porto.
The day will start with the departure to Salamanca where you will make a short stop and will have free time to get to know the old town and its famous Plaza Mayor.
Arrival in Madrid and end of services.
Prices
Every Sunday (from March 24, 2024 to October 27, 2024)
2 Pers.
6 Pers.
18 Pers.
1090€
1090€
1090€
1155€
1155€
1155€
| Travel dates | Accommodation | Price per person in € | ||
| 2 Pers. | 6 Pers. | 18 Pers. | ||
|
Every Sunday (from March 24, 2024 to October 27, 2024) |
4* Hotels (March - June) | 1090€ | 1090€ | 1090€ |
| 4* Hotels (July - October) | 1155€ | 1155€ | 1155€ | |
What's Included
- 7 nights accommodation in a double (DBL) or twin (TWN) room at 4-star hotels;
- Breakfast at the hotel;
- Dinner on day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the itinerary;
- Excursions on the entire itinerary;
- Transportation according to the entire itinerary (bus with free WI-FI onboard);
- Sightseeing tour with local guide in Santiago and Porto;
- Visit and tasting of Port wine at a local wine cellar;
- Multilingual tour leader;
- Travel insurance;
- Municipal tax in Porto.