Grand Tour of Spain & Portugal
18 days from £1,649 pp.
Visit: City of Salamanca, Spain
About the Tour
Home to a rich cultural heritage, spectacular countryside and coastlines, tasty tapas and a tipple or two, it’s easy to see why Spain and Portugal are amongst the top destinations to visit in Europe. Travel by luxury coach on this grand tour and cover great historical cities, plus the treasures of the Iberian Peninsula including Madrid, Seville, Lisbon, Porto and Granada. What’s more, you’ll also have the opportunity of visiting one of Andalucía's must-see places, The Alhambra Palace, on this Grand Explorer holiday. This holiday is part of our GRAND EXPLORER range.
Tour Includes
- 16 nights hotel with continental breakfast
- 13 evening meals
- Overnight ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries in a two-berth en suite inside cabin (meals at extra cost)
- Travel from a regional joining point
- Travel by Silver Service or upgrade to Luxuria
We offer flexible payment options
Once you have booked your tour either online, or by telephone ( 01709 787 463 ), you have the flexibility of how you pay off the remainder of your balance. You can:
- Use our balance payment facility online to make and track your card payments. You can pay as much as you want up until your final due date or pay it all, the choice is yours.
- Send payments via online banking.
- Send payments via cheque.
- Call us and make a card payment, either a small amount or as lump sum until your final due date.
Our contact and online banking payment details will be on your confirmation invoice to remind you of your choices.
Your Itinerary
Day 1
Regional departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to Portsmouth for the overnight crossing to Santander. Accommodation is in two-berth, inside cabins with en suite facilities. The crossing takes 24 hours during which you can enjoy the facilities on board.
Day 2
Evening arrival in Santander, then travel to our overnight hotel in northern Spain.
- Included meals: Dinner
Day 3
Salamanca
Salamanca
We depart our hotel this morning and head to Salamanca arriving early afternoon. There will be free time for you to explore this beautiful city at your leisure. Salamanca is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. After free time we continue our journey to our hotel in the Salamanca area for an overnight stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4
Porto
Porto
This morning we head west, crossing the border into Portugal and continuing to the city of Porto, regarded as being one of the oldest tourist destinations in Europe. Porto is famous for its artistic heritage, Port Wine and open-air leisure spaces. To introduce you to the city, why not join our optional sightseeing tour accompanied by a local English speaking guide. Later this afternoon we continue to our hotel in Porto for an overnight stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5
Fatima
Lisbon
We leave Porto this morning and head south to the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. En route we pause in the famous pilgrimage town of Fatima. Fatima is one of the most important catholic shrines in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is famous for the apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children; Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta. Between May and October of 1917, the three children witnessed several apparitions. The last one, on October 13th, was confirmed as a miracle witnessed by approximately 60,000 people and is known in the catholic world as "the day the sun danced". After free time we continue our journey south to Lisbon for a two-night stay. (08 May 2018 Departure - Please note that on this tour date we stay for 2 nights in a 4-star hotel on the Estoril coast.)
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6
Lisbon
Lisbon
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Lisbon. We start with a panoramic drive around the main sights to allow you to get your bearings. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax and explore this spectacular city at your leisure.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7
Evora
Evora
We leave Lisbon and commence our journey back over the border into Spain. En route we pause in the Moorish hill-top town of Evora, one of Portugal’s most beautifully preserved medieval towns. Aside from its historic and aesthetic virtues, Évora is also a lively university town, and its many attractive restaurants serve up hearty Alentejan cuisine. We continue to our hotel in Seville for a three night stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8
Seville
Seville
Join us today as we spend an included full day in Seville. To help you discover Seville’s fantastic sights and stories, why not join our local guide for an optional sightseeing tour. The city is over 2000 years old, and has a very rich architectural and monumental history. We see Plaza de Espana and the area of the 1929 Ibero-American exhibition. We will also visit the Barrio Santa Cruz area, a maze of narrow streets, picturesque alleys and hidden delights. During our optional sightseeing tour we will visit Seville Cathedral (the 4th largest Christian church in the world), and the Alcazar Royal Palace, where we have our entrances included. For the rest of your time, you are free to relax and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this lovely city. Please note that the Seville Sightseeing tour does involve a degree of walking and is not suitable for any clients with walking difficulties.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9
Cadiz
Cádiz
Today our optional excursion takes you to the old town of Cadiz. It is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe and is now well into its fourth millennium. The ancient centre, surrounded almost entirely by water, is a romantic assortment of sinuous streets, municipal beaches and rambunctious taverns. Worth a visit are the city's Cathedral and churches of Santa Cruz and San Felipe Neri, which is famous throughout Spain as the place where, in defiance of Napoleon's siege, the provisional government was set up with its own liberal Constitution. Other points of interest are La Santa Cueva, home to several paintings by Goya, and stately mansions such as the Casa del Almirante and Casa de las Cadenas. The old city looks quite Moorish in appearance and is intriguing with narrow cobbled streets opening onto small squares. The golden cupola of the cathedral looms high above long white houses. There will be ample free time for you to explore the town at your leisure.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10
Córdoba
Cordoba
We leave Seville and head east to Granada for a two night stay. En route we visit Cordoba, where you can join our optional guided walking tour seeing the celebrated courtyards and patios, the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter and the famous Plaza del Potro. Córdoba was once the largest city in Europe and its incredible history is represented by the beautifully preserved buildings and squares. It is home to the famous Mezquita, a 12th century mosque, which dominates the town centre and is a symbol of worldly and sophisticated Islamic culture. It is impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s great mosque, with its remarkably peaceful and spacious interior. The Mezquita hints at a lavish and refined age when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side by side and enriched their city and surroundings with diverse and vibrant cultures. The medieval centre is a warren of narrow streets surrounding the Mezquita. It is home to some excellent bars and restaurants, some of which have become sights themselves. The main shopping streets are found to the north and west of Plaza de las Tendillas, which is the city’s main square.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11
Granada & the Alhambra
Granada
Enjoy a full day in Granada with an optional guided tour of the vast Alhambra Palace, which dominates the skyline with the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. A visit to the Alhambra Palace and its beautiful gardens is highly recommended and extremely popular, therefore we recommend that entry is booked in advance. The cost is £45 and includes a fully guided tour. Please ask for details when booking this holiday.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12
Toledo
Toledo
We leave Granada this morning and head north to Toledo, often regarded as the Spanish city with the greatest wealth of monuments. The top attractions in Toledo include the city's magnificent cathedral, which houses some beautiful stained glass, delicate wood and stone sculptures plus a large collection of paintings. We continue to Madrid for a three-night stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13
Madrid
Madrid
This morning we have an included full day in Madrid, a truly cosmopolitan city with a wealth of cultural attractions. Why not join our optional guided coach tour, which will allow you to discover many highlights of the city. We will see the famous Salamanca quarter, with its exclusive boutiques and embassies. We also discover the Borbones Quarter, with its many museums, Jardin del Retiro, and House of Parliament, and the Asturias Quarter which is home to the superb Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), which is the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain. Our guide will also help us discover 21st century Madrid with the New Parliament, 4 towers, and Stadium Santiago Bernabeu.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14
Avila & Segovia
Madrid
Free day in Madrid or join us on our optional excursion as we discover the Cities of Castile – Avila and Segovia. We head first to the World Heritage Site of Avila, which is well known for the amazingly intact 11th century wall that surrounds the city and the old town. We then travel to Segovia, which quite rightly lays claim to being the most spectacularly sited city in Spain. It is also famous for its Alcazar, a beautiful 11th-century medieval fort known to be Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s Castle.
- Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 15
We travel through the spectacular mountain scenery of the Basque region to Biarritz on the Basque coast for a two-night stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 16
San Sebastian
San Sebastian
Join our optional excursion back into Spain and to the beautiful Basque town of San Sebastian. San Sebastián has four main districts. The lively Parte Vieja (old town) lies across the neck of Monte Urgull, the bay’s eastern headland. South of the Parte Vieja is the commercial and shopping district, the Centro Romántico. It’s a handsome grid of late-19th-century buildings extending from behind Playa de la Concha to the banks of Río Urumea. On the east side of the river is the district of Gros, a pleasant enclave that, with its relaxed ambience and the surfing beach of Playa de Gros, makes a cheerful alternative to the honeypots on the west side of the river. Right at the opposite, western end, of the city is Playa de Ondarreta (essentially a continuation of Playa de la Concha), a very upmarket district known as a millionaires' belt on account of its lavish holiday homes. There will be ample free time for you to explore all the town has to offer.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 17
To the Paris area for an overnight stay.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Day 18
Return home.
- Included meals: Breakfast
Your Excursions
Included Excursions & Visits
- Salamanca - Splendid Renaissance architecture
- Porto - Wine capital of Portugal on the Douro
- Fatima - Famous Pilgrimage town
- Lisbon - Historic old town and capital
- Evora - Fortified hill-top town
- Seville - Majestic Andalucian city
- Cordoba
- Granada
- Toledo - City of three cultures
- Madrid - Spain’s cosmopolitan capital
Optional Excursions & Visits
- Porto, Cordoba, Seville & Madrid city sightseeing tours - See the highlights with a guide
- Cadiz
- The Alhambra Palace - One of Andalucia’s must-see places (strictly on request)
- Avila & Segovia - Spectacularly situated historic cities
- San Sebastian - Basque city
Notes
(08 May 2018 Departure - Please note that on day 5, we stay for 2 nights in a 4-star hotel on the Estoril coast.)
Travel Insurance from £42.00 (18 days). Single Room Supplement from £549.00 (18 days).
Frequently asked questions about our tours
Accommodation
You will stay in 3-star superior and 4-star hotels throughout your time in Spain and Portugal.
Your overnight stays in France/northern Spain will be in city-style hotels.
On the overnight ferry sailing, accommodation will be in two-berth, en suite inside cabins (meals at extra cost).
Ibis Ciboure St Jean De Luz
- English Speaking Staff
- Bar
- Lift
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Camino De Santiago
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Regio
The 4-Star Regio in Salamanca is located close to local highways and is set in a spacious garden. The hotel's facilities include outdoor swimming pool*, garden, tennis courts, terrace, currency exchange, lounge, a bar, a restaurant, gym, concierge, air conditioning, dry cleaning services available, 24hrs reception and wi-fi/internet access. All bedrooms feature air conditioning, hairdryer, safety deposit box, satellite T.V, telephone, desk, minibar and en-suite bathroom. *The swimming pool can close without prior notice.
- English Speaking Staff
- Bureau de Change
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Camino De Santiago
- English Speaking Staff
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Regio
The 4-Star Regio in Salamanca is located close to local highways and is set in a spacious garden. The hotel's facilities include outdoor swimming pool*, garden, tennis courts, terrace, currency exchange, lounge, a bar, a restaurant, gym, concierge, air conditioning, dry cleaning services available, 24hrs reception and wi-fi/internet access. All bedrooms feature air conditioning, hairdryer, safety deposit box, satellite T.V, telephone, desk, minibar and en-suite bathroom. *The swimming pool can close without prior notice.
- English Speaking Staff
- Bureau de Change
- Guest Lounge
- Bar
- Restaurant
- Lift
- WiFi Available
- TV
- Hairdryer
- Bath and/or Shower
- Telephone
Frequently asked questions about accommodation
If you prefer, then you can join the tour at the hotel. To do this, we will require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking.
No reduction will be given if you should choose to do this.
We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having minus the meat.
We will of course endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.
Travel Information
- Travel Options
- Extra Services
Silver Service coach
Find out more
Luxuria coach
Find out moreSilver Service
On most of our holidays you can upgrade to Silver Service, luxury coach travel, for comfort and style across Europe.
Relax and have a chat in the spacious rear lounge.
Servery on board offering a range of refreshments.
Enjoy the perfect temperature onboard with climate control.
Luxuria
Setting the standard in Luxury travel across Europe, our new and innovative Luxuria coach
Luxuria Coach Features
Deluxe armchair-style seats with leather exterior, central arm rests with cup holders and retractable calf rests give you a more comfortable journey.
Every seat has its own, fully interactive, touch screen T.V. offering a wide choice of entertainment so you can control what you want to watch and when.
4 seats face-to-face with tables. And with a total of 5 single seats available, these are ideal for passengers travelling independently.
Plug sockets and USB points at each seat mean you can keep your devices fully charged throughout your journey.
Stay overnight near Dover
Find out moreWhy not go the night before your holiday for a relaxing start? You can park for FREE for up to nine days at the Holiday Inn Ashford North and enjoy an overnight stay with English breakfast from just £38 per person. This offer is subject to availability and based on two sharing a twin/double room on a B&B basis. We’ll then collect you from the hotel on the day of departure and return you there at the end of your holiday.
To book this package, please call the hotel on 01233 713333, quoting ‘Leger Holidays’ and your booking reference. If your holiday is longer than nine days you can pay for additional days’ parking. Ask one of our friendly reservations team for more details when you book your holiday.
Single supplements and terms and conditions apply.
Our Door-to-Door service
Find out moreOn Single Traveller holidays and coach holidays of 7 days’ duration or more, you don’t even have to think about getting to your local joining point. If you live within 20 miles of one of our free joining points we’ll pick you up from your home and take you to meet your transfer vehicle, then return you back home at the end of your holiday. The cost is from £35 per booking each way for up to four people per booking.
If you live a little further afield, you can also take advantage of this convenient option for an additional charge – please enquire at the time of booking.
Join coach at Interchange
Find out moreOn most holidays if you’d prefer to join your tour coach at Stop 24 services, you can park your car in the car park which is accredited by the Park Mark safer parking scheme and is monitored 24 hours a day by CCTV. Payment for the parking is made on arrival using the self-service machines.
Excludes holidays to Ireland and the U.K. and tours travelling via Brittany Ferries.
Looking for your local joining point? Enter your post code below
*Please note pickups are subject to availability.
Frequently asked questions about travel options
Front row seats can be reserved for £14pp (up to 6 days' duration), £22pp (7 & 8 days' duration) and £25pp (9 days' duration and over) on all European tours. This offer is only available for bookings of two or four persons on the front row and is subject to availability. In addition to this, seats on the second row can be reserved for £7pp (up to 6 days duration), £14pp (7 & 8 days duration) and £17pp (9 days duration and over). Guaranteed front/second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the interchange. Children under 15 years cannot occupy a front row seat due to French Law. Central view seats are free.
Please note: On some coaches the legroom on front seats may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.
If your tour is cancelled for any reason and front/second row seats are not available on your new tour, you will be refunded the supplement. No other compensation will be payable.
Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 7-10 days prior to departure.
Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure. The route taken depends on where paassengers are booked to travel from on any particular date as to which route is taken. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 830333 two weeks before you are due to travel.
With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.
OR
Call our reservations team on:
01709 787 463
To book this tour, just give our friendly team a call on 01709 787 463 or book online at www.leger.co.uk