


(Feedback on the Spanish portion)
The Intrepid tour was great in many ways 10 people ....6 Australians, 3 Americans and me I think I was the oldest but some were close in age and interests The other single woman was probably about 40 No problems getting along The Guide was a young Spanish girl, 30 I think, from northern Spain Very congenial, conscientious, knew her role Knew her facts and always ready to look up anything We all enjoyed her
The highlight of the whole trip was the Mesquita......there were many lesser highlights
The local guides were very good but I find they all talk incessantly on the head sets The Guide for the Alhambra spoke very very fast and didn’t take a breath for 3hours except at the washroom break I think Spanish is spoken.very fast and it is difficult for some to slow down
Remember a tapas tour was added to replace the night tour of Alhambra? It was a good time and then the evening meal became a wonderful lunch at the base of the Alhambra hill the next day before our visit
Hotels were excellent except in Granada where we were in a concrete monstrosity with a view of the expressway and a ton of large tour groups ...breakfast was a zoo!
It was a long way out of the city Centre The Guide did her best with an extra taxi There was a bus into town but the stop was a good ways from the hotel
The Madrid hotel was perfectly located for me
The meals included in the tour were excellent The Guide did a great job of ordering
To be critical, I think Intrepid should rethink the Toledo day and make the time there longer and not offer a free afternoon in Madrid We were doing this trip on National Day So there were traffic considerations etc and we didn’t get back until around 4 pm Some of the others hoped to go to the Prado etc Too much emphasis on the marzipan in Toledo We ate it standing on the street. Hardly saw the outside of the cathedral
The long driving days to Valencia and then to Barcelona need better timing The Guide got us to agree not to go to a palm grove en route but we still should have left for Valencia earlier I know there are traffic concerns, breakfast etc etc Iwas doing a 2 hour city walk having had very little to eat since breakfast We were late getting into Barcelona too Unsure why there wasn’t an earlier start Because I had extra days It didn’t affect me much but it affected the group
I found the walking very strenuous. and I wasn’t the only one feeling this way I managed to keep up but I think I lost some of the enjoyment of the walks
Marion - Waterloo, ON
Spain and Portugal - A Premium Adventure
Small Group Holiday
18
CA$
days from
12500
This 2½-week guided tour of Spain and Portugal has you discover all the cultural and historical gems of Spain. Barcelona with its Gaudi-built cathedral of Sagrada Familia, Madrid with its palaces, museums and parks, Seville with its Giralda, Granada's Alhambra, Lisbon's castles and churches, and lively Porto are all covered. In between, expect to discover Valencia, the city of arts, science and paella, Cordoba's old mosque, the former capital Toledo with its multi-cultural past, sleepy villages, the the westernmost point of continental Europe, Coimbra’s university and the wines of the Douro Valley.
Activity / Theme
Country
Culture
Spain, Portugal
Comfort Level
Physical Rating
Comfortable
Leisurely / Moderate
Transportation
Accommodation
Private vehicle, High-Speed Train, Local Train, Plane
Comfortable Hotel (14 nights), Feature Stay (3 nights)
Months of Operation
April, May, June, August, September, October
Adventure Coordinators Insider Tip:
Be sure to add extra nights in Barcelona and prebook your tickets for Sagrada Familia
Itinerary
(This trip can be split in a Spain and a Portygal section)
DAY 1 Join in Barcelona
DAY 2 Food of Barcelona, to Valencia
DAY 3 Visit Albufera Lake, free in Valencia
DAY 4 Historic Elche, to Granada
DAY 5 Tour of Granada, evening at Alhambra
DAY 6 Olive Farm, to Seville
DAY 7 Tour & free time in Seville
DAY 8 To Cordoba, Walking Tour
DAY 9 To Madrid, introduction walk, free time
DAY 10 Day trip to Toledo from Madrid
DAY 11 Fly to Lisbon
DAY 12 Tour Lisbon
DAY 13 Visit Cascais, Cabo da Roca, Sintra and Coimbra
DAY 14 Tour Coimbra & Fado Show
DAY 15 To Douro Valley, Vineyard stay
DAY 16 To Porto, tour
DAY 17 Beach time in Matosinhos, overnight Porto
DAY 18 Tour ends in Porto
Inclusions
18 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners
Transportation
Accommodation
Airport Arrival Transfer
Tipping for accommodation, activities and transport
Barcelona - Welcome Dinner at Local Restaurant
Barcelona - Market Visit & Produce Tasting
Barcelona - Walking Tour with Local Guide
Lake Albufera - Boat Tour & Barraca Visit
Valencia - Paella Lunch
Elche - Palmeral Visit
Granada - Exclusive Guided Alhambra Night Visit
Andalucia - Olive Oil Mill Visit & Tasting
Seville - Alcazar Visit
Seville - Walking Tour with Local Guide
Seville - Evening Flamenco Show
Cordoba - Walking Tour of the Mezquita & Cordoba City with Local Guide
Toledo - Marzipan Tasting
Toledo - Day Trip
Lisbon - Walking Tour with Local Guide
Lisbon - Castle of Sao Jorge
Sintra - Pena Palace & Gardens
Sintra, Cascais & Cabo da Roca - Day Trip
Coimbra - Fado Show
Douro Valley - Douro River Boat Ride
Douro Valley - Wine Tasting & Lunch
Douro Valley - Day Trip
Porto - Sunset Drinks in Vila Nova de Gaia
Matosinhos - Half Day Trip by Local Train
Sample tour. Itinerary, accommodation, transportation, inclusions and prices are correct at the time of publication but may change without prior notice. Please inquire.
© Adventure Coordinators