Spain, Portugal, and Morocco Tours

Upon arrival at Madrid Airport, you will meet our tour leader right after clearing customs. He will greet you and introduce you to your small group, sharing your overland tour of Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Welcome to Madrid, Spain. The elegant capital of Spain is known for its spacious boulevards and well-groomed parks, a vibrant royal city in the heart of Spain's geography. Your small group overland adventure tour begins with a welcome meeting and a guided tour of Madrid. We will retreat to the hotel for a group orientation meeting around 7:00 pm. After the meeting, we will head out for an optional group dinner where you can get to know your fellow travelers. If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. If you can't arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel on time for the day, we recommend arriving early. We'll happily book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). As there's minimal time for sightseeing in Madrid, consider flying in a few days early to explore, as Madrid landmarks are worth exploring. After the welcome meeting, get into the mind of a Madrileno with some tapas and Rioja to get a bit of a taste of Spanish nightlife.

After breakfast, we will hop on our overland vehicle and head toward the Historic city of Salamanca (approximately 3 hours). Situated among beautiful pastures and rolling green hills on Spain's northern plateau, the medieval town of Salamanca is excellent to explore on a walking tour to discover its historical highlights. Your leader will take you on an orientation walk upon arrival, where you can explore the Central Plaza Mayor and discover the beautiful Renaissance and Baroque architecture the city is known for. Plaza Mayor is a central Plaza of vibrant local life, perhaps Spain's most perfect city square. It is architecturally unique and thrives with activity as locals meet and take coffee, tapas, or cocktails on the square. The rest of your afternoon and evening is then free. You can admire the intricate detail of the Casa de Las Conchas, or ‘House of the Shells,’ see the 'contrasting Old and New Cathedrals, and climb to the top to get a view across the terracotta rooftops due to Salamanca's academic reputation on a large student population. Salamanca then enjoys the young exuberance of nightlife so that you can soak up the buzzing vibe tonight.

Meet the group in the morning after breakfast, then travel west in your overland truck to Coimbra on the scenic road (approximately 4 hours). Coimbra will be your base for the next two nights. Coimbra is set on the banks of the River Mondego, once the capital of Portugal, and its royal heritage can be felt in its ancient streets and buildings. On arrival, your leader will escort you on a walking tour to help you orientate yourself in the maze of alleyways of this riverfront city. Half the fun of Coimbra is wandering and exploring, so use your free time to get to know the city more. Coimbra features white stone buildings with several excellent examples of colorful Azulejos tiling. Some historical structures were initially built in the 12th century (like the Cathedral Se Velha). Coimbra is also known for its Romanesque architecture. You can find some of Portugal's best examples. One must explore the highlights of the University of Coimbra – the oldest in Portugal – and the famous baroque library, the Biblioteca Joanina, with its 18th-century bell tower.

Enjoy a day free to discover more historical and artistic highlights of Coimbra before treating yourself to a traditional Fado performance. Fado songs must follow a particular structure, and though this conventional music can be about anything, it popularly features mournful tunes with lyrics about the sea or the life of people with low incomes. In Coimbra, male university students often serenade their sweethearts with this music, with songs here tending to be literary translations or follow themes students can relate to. We offer an optional excursion in the afternoon to the Roman ruins outside Coimbra into the countryside in search of ancient Roman ruins, which takes around 30 minutes by bus. The ruins of Conimbriga are rich in well-preserved mosaics and offer a great insight into ancient Roman life. There are several options to return, including a three-kilometer walk through the countryside to the unspoiled rural town of Condeixa (optional). If you have time, you can take a short boat tour to view Coimbra from a different angle.

After breakfast, we will travel on our 4x4 truck through the countryside of central Portugal to Lisbon (approximately 3.5 hours). Lisbon is considered one of Europe's most pleasant and affordable capital cities. The city combines the best elements of Portuguese life, offering fantastic architecture, a multicultural population, delicious seafood, and non-stop nightlife, just what the doctor can prescribe for an active traveler. Upon our arrival in the city, we will head out on an orientation walking tour of Lisbon, located on the banks of the Tagus (Tejo) River. Lisbon's character and charm lie in its beautiful, renovated buildings, grand boulevards, and impressive medieval castles and churches. Visit the old citadel in the heart of the city center, the Citadel of Sao Jorge Castle, which dates back to Moorish times and sits at the highest point of Old Town. Look down on a city swarming with endless angular white houses and buildings with distinct red terracotta rooftops. Your afternoon and evening are free, so perhaps head to the Grand Naval Museum for an insight into the history of Portuguese navigation. Or maybe you'd prefer to roam through charming narrow streets of local neighborhoods and discover local Portuguese life play out. If you want to indulge in Portuguese nightlife, Barrio Alto is where to head this evening.

You do not have to be on this overland adventure tour with your small group. Today is free for you to explore more of Lisbon or take a 45-minute train ride out to the mountainous region of Sintra, an absolute jewel of Portugal, where you can visit the beautiful Pena Palace. This area offers excellent walking, stunning cliff-top palaces, and unique Moorish architecture. The 8th-century Castle of the Moors looks down on the Old Town, and the views from the battlements across the Serra de Sintra Mountain range are stunning.

The Algarve. Take a bus journey of around four hours today to the southern coastline of Portugal, the Algarve. Known for fertile plains rich with orange and olive groves, fig trees, almonds, and maize fields, this region is perfect for exploring. Your base is Olhao, the Algarve’s biggest fishing port. The city has a Northern African feel with an active waterfront, Moorish buildings, and bustling old quarters. Upon arrival, check in to your home for the next two nights and use the rest of the day to discover Olhao. You may wish to wander the city center and get a great view of the town from the rooftop terrace of the accommodation. Or perhaps try Olhao’s famous fish restaurants along the coastal road Rua 5 de Outubro, the eastern Algarve’s food mile, filled with delicious and authentic local flavors.

Today is free for you to enjoy as you please. If you feel like relaxing in Olhao for the day – do so! If you choose to visit the nearby islands, your leader can point you in the right direction to catch a small boat locals use to travel between the coast and the islands. Alternatively, stay on the mainland and use the area's great walking paths to access some of the Algarve's lesser-known spots. Maybe head towards the Ria Formosa Nature Reserve, a beautiful landscape of canals, salt pans, lagoons, and sandbanks separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a series of barrier islands. One of these is Ilha de Culatra, where you can wander along a series of boardwalks leading away from the fishermen's settlements and cross over dunes and lagoons to beaches so long that they disappear into the horizon's haze. Evenings are best spent watching breathtaking sunsets, and the best place to do so is Olhao's Old Town, where you will also have a chance to try some authentic Portuguese fare.

Leave Portugal behind and return to Spain, traveling by bus to the charming city of Seville. If the legends are to be believed, Seville was founded by Hercules, and its origins are linked with the Tartessian civilization. To the Romans, it was Hispalis, and to the Moors, it was Ishbiliya. After the Christian reconquest, it became thought of as the portal to the 'New World' and is today the largest city in southern Spain. Seville is famous for its vitality and flamboyance, as are the cities of Carmen, Don Juan, and Figaro. Seville is also well-known for its oranges, tapas, and flamenco, ingrained in the city's fabric and its proud people. Enjoy a short orientation walk around the main sights, then enjoy some limited free time to discover as you wish. Later, travel to Tarifa, where you will stay overnight, before hopping over to Africa tomorrow.

Today, I leave Spain behind and head to Morocco. Before doing so, there will be a chance for an optional walk on the beach or a Tarifa Castle visit. Ferry across the straits to the city of Tangier (approximately 1 hour). After leaving the ferry, journey by bus (around three hours) to arrive at a sleepy mountain town peppered with blue-washed buildings and ambient restaurants – Chefchaouen, in the center of a mountainous agricultural region. There may not be much time to explore this rural retreat by the time you arrive today, but you might have time to look over the architecture of the 15th-century Grand Mosque and the medina, the walled fortress of the Kasbah. Perhaps tuck into some famous local goats’ cheese or a tajine tonight before settling into your hotel.

Say farewell to Chefchaouen today and jump on a private minivan trip to Morocco's spiritual and cultural heart for around five hours. On your way, we will make a few stops to visit the Roman city of Volubilis and its tween town of Moulay Idriss, the first Arab City in Morocco. Arrive in Fes and return to a medieval medina thick with exotic smells, tastes, and sounds. Rich, noisy, fascinating, and overwhelming – a visual and pungent feast for the senses – Fes is the mother of all medinas. Maybe fuel explorations of this imperial city with a glass of mint tea and some sweet Moroccan dates. Your day is free once you arrive, so perhaps get your bearings of the most complete medieval city in the Arab world. The adventurous may want to try Moroccan specialties like a camel burger or Harira (chickpea soup) and chicken-stuffed pastilla with couscous for dinner. Watching the sunset over the Medina while a dozen melodic prayer calls vie for attention is an experience you'll likely remember for a long time.

Fes. Take a guided walking tour of the old city, known locally as Fes el Bali. Step back in time to the labyrinth of the Medina, which is alive with artisans, markets, tanneries, and mosques. Pass donkeys piled high with goods (this is one of the largest car-free urban zones in the world) and explore the specialty sections that divide the souks. Medieval Fes was one of the world's great centers of education and culture: Islamic and Jewish. Its religious institutions and its libraries are legendary. Its mosques are of great renown. Look out for the Medersa Bou Inania, one of the city's most beautiful buildings recently restored and is now open to tourists. Pass the Belghazi Museum, Medresse el Attarine, and the splendid Funduk Nejjarine, a beautifully restored 18th-century inn. You'll also see the famous tannery, known for its iconic view overlooking its dye pits, and a ceramics factory where you can see potters working traditionally. After the tour, you can enjoy the afternoon as you please. Notes: Today's experience will include shopping in carefully selected places. As the receipt of commissions or kickbacks in exchange for recommending particular shops, services, or activities is ingrained in the culture of the Moroccan tourism industry, the tour operator has established a centralized system of receiving and distributing payments from these recommended suppliers. For more information, please refer to the 'Important Notes' section or talk to your Tour leader on the ground.

Travel by train this morning to Marrakech (approximately 8 hours). Before dinner, head out with the group for a quick visit to the main square, Djema El Fna. The square is filled with a hive of activity. Henna painters, performers, and storytellers share the square with a street food bazaar with stalls loaded with Moroccan delicacies. From a distance, you will see the Koutoubia Mosque and its minaret – famous worldwide as one of the greatest minarets and the 'sister' to the Giralda in Seville. Please note that non-Muslims can't enter the minaret. If you have time the following day, explore the ruins of Palais Badi, once one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, or comb the spectacular bazaar, where every step to a new souq brings a new smell, a new sight or a new gift to buy. Be enticed by the alluring scents and brilliant colors of the spice markets, the sounds of the musicians, the rich folds of carpets, delectable foods, acrobats, and perfumed gardens. Perhaps end your adventure with dinner in the unique great square of Djemma el Fna when night falls.

You will devote your morning to exploring Marrakech’s many historical sites, starting at the Menara, a magnificent pool surrounded by flowerbeds, reflecting the image of an exquisite Moorish edifice. It was constructed in 1866 for dignitaries who enjoyed glorious sunsets with the ethereal Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The pool is an innovative irrigation system serving dry life in the desert. Your tour will cover many impressive sites, including the Koutoubia Minaret (identical to la Giralda, a tower found in Sevilla, Spain) and the Saadian Necropolis Tombs, demonstrating Moorish architecture at its best. The tombs consist of sixteenth-century mausoleums, which had lain walled-in and undiscovered until 1917. Next, you will explore the gardens of the Agdal and then the Marjorelle. Finally, you will return to your hotel for dinner and other accommodations.

Your Madrid to Marrakech adventure ends this morning. We will transfer the departing travelers to Casablanca Airport. For those who would like to extend your stay, we recommend booking an extra few nights’ accommodation so you can fully explore this fantastic city. Our reservations team will be happy to help (subject to availability).