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Two countries. One peninsula. Fourteen days of flamenco, Moorish palaces, Atlantic coastlines, port wine, world-class art, and some of the best food in all of Europe. If there is one trip that delivers sheer variety from start to finish, it is a journey through Spain and Portugal together, and Excite's 14-day Iberian tour, running September 26 to October 9, 2026, is built to show you the very best of both. Beginning in Lisbon, weaving south through the Algarve, crossing into Andalusia for Seville and Granada, swinging through Madrid, and looping back to Portugal for Porto and the Douro Valley before ending with a farewell dinner in Lisbon, this tour covers the full sweep of the Iberian Peninsula in a single, beautifully paced journey. Airfare is included, 21 meals are covered, 4-star hotels throughout, and a professional tour director guides every step. Here is why this trip belongs at the top of your list and everything you need to know before you go. Why Spain and Portugal? Why Together? Why October? Spain and Portugal are two of the most visited countries in Europe for very good reason. Between them, they hold 66 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, produce some of the world's finest wines, and offer a cultural depth that rewards every kind of traveler, whether your passion is history, food, architecture, music, or simply wandering beautiful streets in warm autumn light. Visited separately, each country is wonderful. Visited together, they tell a complete story of the Iberian Peninsula, a civilization shaped by Romans, Visigoths, Moors, and medieval Christian kingdoms, all layered on top of each other in cities that are simultaneously ancient and vibrantly alive. October is widely considered one of the best months to visit both countries. Summer crowds have thinned significantly, temperatures are comfortable and warm without the intense heat of July and August, the autumn harvest season brings exceptional food and wine experiences, and the golden October light over Lisbon's hillside neighborhoods or Granada's Alhambra gardens is simply unforgettable. As travel writer resources consistently note, the Alhambra in Granada is significantly less crowded in autumn, and the fall foliage adds to the beauty of the Generalife gardens. The Douro Valley's grape harvest also peaks in late September and early October, making the timing of this tour particularly well-suited to the wine experiences built into the itinerary. 8 Reasons This Tour Belongs on Your Bucket List 1. You visit six iconic cities across two countries in one trip Lisbon, Seville, Granada, Madrid, Porto, and a return to Lisbon, each city distinct in character, architecture, food, and pace. This is not a surface-level tour. You spend multiple nights in the major cities, giving you time to move beyond the main squares and into the neighborhoods, markets, and restaurants that make each place genuinely memorable. 2. The Alhambra is one of the greatest monuments on earth The Alhambra in Granada is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and consistently ranked among the most visited and most celebrated landmarks in all of Europe. Built by the Moorish Nasrid dynasty from 1238 onwards, this vast palace and citadel complex features intricate carved archways, stunning fountains, lush gardens, and views over the valleys below. The Generalife Gardens adjacent to the main palace offer a separate world of water features, manicured greenery, and quiet beauty. It is included in the Day 8 itinerary, and a guided visit means you will understand the full weight of what you are seeing. 3. You experience authentic flamenco, not a tourist show Seville is the birthplace of flamenco, and this tour includes a flamenco dinner show on Day 5 and a second flamenco evening on Day 6. This is not a staged performance for a stadium crowd. Flamenco in Seville is an intimate, emotionally raw art form, and experiencing it in the city where it originated, accompanied by dinner, is a genuinely life-changing travel moment that visitors consistently describe as a highlight of their entire trip. 4. The Prado Museum is a world-class art experience Madrid's Prado Museum is one of the great art museums of the world, housing the most important collection of European art from the 12th to early 20th century, with particular strength in Spanish masters including Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco. A guided visit is included on Day 10, ensuring you understand what you are looking at rather than wandering a vast gallery alone. 5. The Douro River cruise is one of Portugal's finest experiences The Douro River cruise on Day 12 takes you through the terraced vineyard landscapes of northern Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape and the birthplace of port wine. Sipping local wines as the river winds through centuries-old wine estates and granite hillsides is the kind of experience that travel writers describe as one of Europe's great pleasures. 6. The food and wine experiences are built into every day This tour devotes serious attention to eating and drinking well. A four-course lunch in Comporta, wine tasting at Bacalhôa Palace, a tapas tour in Granada, a Madrid evening food tour through traditional taverns and modern eateries, port wine tasting in Porto, and cherry liqueur in a chocolate cup in Óbidos. Across 21 included meals, you will eat your way through two of Europe's most celebrated culinary cultures. 7. Ronda and Óbidos are two of Europe's most spectacular hidden gems Not every destination on this tour is a major capital. Day 7 includes a stop in Ronda, the dramatic cliffside town in Andalusia perched above a deep gorge with the iconic Puente Nuevo bridge as its centrepiece. Day 13 includes a visit to Óbidos, a perfectly preserved medieval walled village in Portugal where whitewashed houses are draped in bougainvillea and the local specialty is ginjinha, cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup. Both are among the most visually stunning places in all of Europe. 8. October makes everything better Fewer crowds at major attractions, comfortable walking temperatures, harvest season wine and food at their peak, and some of the most beautiful light of the year. September and October are consistently ranked by experienced Iberian travelers as the ideal travel window, offering all the beauty of these destinations without the intensity of peak summer. Your Day-by-Day Itinerary Day 1, Overnight Flight Board your flight to Lisbon and rest up for your Iberian adventure. Your journey begins the moment you take your seat. Day 2, Lisbon Arrival and Welcome Dinner Arrive in Lisbon and transfer to your hotel. Take time to settle in, rest, or take a first stroll through the neighborhood before a festive Welcome Dinner with your fellow travelers. An optional sunset sailing excursion is available for those who want to see the city from the water from day one. Day 3, Lisbon Highlights A full day exploring Portugal's capital. Visit the magnificent Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower in the Belém district, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites and among Portugal's most celebrated monuments. Then explore Lisbon's oldest and most atmospheric neighborhoods by tuk tuk, the charming three-wheeled vehicles perfectly suited to the city's steep, narrow streets. Enjoy a group lunch and free time in the afternoon to soak up Lisbon at your own pace. Day 4, Azeitão, Bacalhôa Palace and the Algarve A day of artisan culture and coastal beauty. Watch traditional azulejo tile craftsmen at work, then tour the historic Bacalhôa Palace, one of Portugal's finest Renaissance estates, with a wine tasting included. Cross the Setúbal Bay by ferry, enjoy a four-course lunch in the beautiful coastal village of Comporta, and continue south to the Algarve, Portugal's legendary golden coastline. Day 5, Seville and Flamenco Cross the border into Spain and arrive in Seville, the passionate capital of Andalusia. A guided tour takes you through the Alcázar Palace, a stunning royal palace that has been in continuous use since the 10th century and is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the evening, dinner is paired with a live flamenco show, one of the most anticipated experiences of the entire tour. Day 6, Seville at Leisure A second full day in Seville to explore at your own pace. Wander the markets, sit in the plazas, explore the Gothic cathedral (the largest in the world), or simply absorb the city's extraordinary energy. The evening brings another dinner and flamenco experience. Day 7, Ronda and Granada One of the great driving days in all of European travel. Stop in cliffside Ronda for breathtaking views over the Tajo gorge and a stroll through one of Andalusia's most dramatic towns. Continue to Granada for dinner and overnight, with the Alhambra waiting for you the following morning. Day 8, Alhambra and Tapas The centrepiece day of the entire tour. A guided visit to the Alhambra takes you through the Nasrid Palaces, the Alcazaba fortress, and the Generalife Gardens, one of the most extraordinary architectural and horticultural experiences in the world. Free time in Granada follows, and the evening closes with a tapas tour, Granada being famous for its tradition of serving free tapas with every drink order, a custom not found anywhere else in Spain. Day 9, Consuegra and Madrid Stop at Consuegra to see the famous windmills of La Mancha, the landscape immortalised by Cervantes in Don Quixote, complete with a wine and cheese tasting at the castle. Arrive in Madrid for a panoramic city tour introducing you to the Spanish capital. Day 10, Prado Museum and Madrid Food Tour A guided visit to the Prado Museum, one of the world's great art galleries and home to masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, and Rubens. The afternoon is free to explore Madrid independently. The evening brings a walking food tour through traditional taverns and contemporary eateries, experiencing the full range of Madrid's extraordinary food scene. Day 11, Madrid to Porto Travel back into Portugal, with lunch included along the way. Arrive in Porto, Portugal's second city and the birthplace of port wine, for a port wine tasting and group dinner. Porto's dramatic hilltop setting above the Douro River, its colorful tiled buildings, and its legendary wine culture make it one of the most beloved cities in all of Europe. Day 12, Douro River Cruise A morning free in Porto to explore the city independently before the highlight of the northern Portugal leg: a scenic Douro River cruise through the terraced vineyard landscapes of the Douro Valley, with local wines and starters served on board. The afternoon is open for further exploration, with an optional guided tour available. Day 13, Nazaré, Óbidos and Farewell Dinner in Lisbon A day of Portugal's most enchanting coastal and medieval highlights. Visit Nazaré, the dramatic Atlantic fishing village famous for the world's largest surfable waves and its colorful, traditional culture. Then on to Óbidos, a perfectly preserved medieval walled town where the streets are lined with whitewashed houses covered in bougainvillea and every visitor is offered ginjinha, cherry liqueur served in a chocolate cup. Continue to Lisbon for a special farewell dinner. Day 14, Departure Enjoy a final breakfast before your transfer to Lisbon Airport for your flight home. You leave with the flavors, sounds, and sights of two of Europe's most extraordinary countries. Top 10 Questions About This Spain and Portugal Tour, Answered What is the best time of year to visit Spain and Portugal? Late September and October are widely considered the ideal window to visit both Spain and Portugal. Temperatures are warm and comfortable without the intense heat of summer, major attractions are significantly less crowded than in July and August, and the autumn harvest season brings exceptional wine and food experiences. The Alhambra's Generalife Gardens are particularly beautiful in autumn, and the Douro Valley's grape harvest peaks in late September and early October, making the Excite tour dates of September 26 to October 9 exceptionally well-timed. Outdoor walking tours, city exploration, and day excursions are all far more enjoyable in the cooler autumn temperatures. What is the Alhambra and why is it considered one of Europe's greatest landmarks? The Alhambra is a vast palace and citadel complex in Granada, Spain, built by the Moorish Nasrid dynasty from 1238 onwards and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name means "the red one" in Arabic, referring to the reddish walls of the fortress. The complex includes the Nasrid Palaces, featuring intricate carved stucco walls, geometric tile work, and reflecting pools that rank among the finest examples of Islamic architecture anywhere in the world; the Alcazaba military fortress with panoramic views over Granada; and the Generalife Gardens, a stunning terraced garden of fountains, water channels, and cypress trees where the Moorish kings came to rest and reflect. A guided visit is essential to understanding the full historical and artistic significance of what you are seeing, and it is included in the Excite itinerary on Day 8. What is flamenco and why is Seville the best place to experience it? Flamenco is a deeply expressive Spanish art form combining guitar, singing, dance, and handclapping that originated in Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, and is particularly rooted in Seville and the surrounding area. It was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010. Seville is widely regarded as the spiritual home of flamenco, and experiencing a show there, in a small intimate venue rather than a large tourist theatre, is a qualitatively different and far more powerful experience. The Excite itinerary includes two separate flamenco dinner shows in Seville on Days 5 and 6, giving travelers multiple opportunities to absorb this extraordinary art form. What is the Prado Museum and what will I see there? The Prado National Museum in Madrid is one of the world's foremost art museums and the most important repository of Spanish art on earth. Its collection spans the 12th to early 20th century and includes masterpieces by Velázquez, including Las Meninas; Francisco Goya, including his haunting Black Paintings; El Greco; Rubens; Titian; and Bosch, whose Garden of Earthly Delights is among the most discussed paintings in Western art history. A guided visit is included in the Excite itinerary on Day 10, which is strongly recommended given the scale and depth of the collection. What is a Douro River cruise and what makes it special? The Douro River cruise on Day 12 takes you through the heart of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. The valley's steep hillsides are blanketed in terraced vineyards that have produced port wine for centuries, and viewing this landscape from the water while sampling local wines is consistently described by travelers as one of the most beautiful and relaxing experiences of any European tour. Porto itself is a city of extraordinary character, its colorful azulejo-tiled buildings cascading down the hillside above the river, and the cruise gives you a perspective on the city and the surrounding wine country that simply cannot be replicated on land. What is Ronda and why is it worth visiting? Ronda is a dramatic hilltop town in the Málaga province of Andalusia, Spain, perched above a deep gorge called the Tajo. The town is bisected by the gorge, and the two halves are connected by the iconic Puente Nuevo, or New Bridge, an 18th-century stone arch bridge whose image has become one of the most recognizable in all of Spain. Beyond its visual drama, Ronda is one of the oldest cities in Spain with a rich Moorish and Roman heritage, a bullfighting ring that is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and a charming old town of whitewashed buildings and flower-filled balconies. The Excite tour includes a stop in Ronda on Day 7 en route to Granada. What is Óbidos and what makes it unique? Óbidos is a small medieval walled town in central Portugal, approximately 80 kilometres north of Lisbon, that has been so perfectly preserved it is often described as a living museum. The entire old town is enclosed within medieval walls, and the streets inside are lined with whitewashed houses draped in bougainvillea and decorated with traditional blue and yellow painted borders. The town is also famous for ginjinha, a traditional cherry liqueur, which is served in small edible chocolate cups as a local specialty. Óbidos has been a popular tourist destination since Queen Afonso II gifted the town to his wife Isabella in 1228, establishing a tradition of Portuguese queens receiving it as a gift. It is visited on Day 13 of the tour. What traditional foods and drinks will I experience on this tour? The Iberian Peninsula offers two of Europe's most celebrated food and drink cultures, and this tour immerses you in both. In Portugal, you will taste traditional azulejo-style cuisine, fresh Atlantic seafood, pastéis de nata (custard tarts), and sample wines at Bacalhôa Palace, one of Portugal's finest estates. In Spain, you will enjoy tapas in Granada, which has the unique tradition of serving a free tapa with every drink order, a practice found nowhere else in the country. In Madrid, an evening food tour covers traditional taverns and contemporary eateries. The tour also includes a wine and cheese tasting at Consuegra and a full port wine tasting in Porto. Across 21 included meals, the eating and drinking dimension of this trip is among the most generous of any European group tour. How physically demanding is this tour? The Excite Spain and Portugal tour is rated Level 3, meaning moderate to active difficulty. It includes extended walking, standing, and navigating busy markets, food stalls, and winery tours. Travelers should expect stairs, uneven ground, and active full days. This tour is best suited to those who are comfortable with a sustained active pace over multiple days. That said, the itinerary is structured with motorcoach travel between cities, and the professional tour director manages logistics so that energy is spent on experiencing rather than navigating. Comfortable, supportive walking shoes are essential. Anyone with specific mobility concerns should contact Excite directly at 402-293-9282 before booking. What is included in the Excite Spain and Portugal 2026 tour price? The tour includes round-trip airfare, 4-star hotel accommodations throughout (Mercure Lisboa, Hotel Alisios, Ilunion Alcora Sevilla, Hotel Porcel Alixares Granada, NH Madrid Ribera, and Mercure Porto Centro), all motorcoach transportation, a professional tour director for the full duration, 21 meals, all activities and admissions listed in the itinerary, bottled water throughout land-based days, and even a homemade chocolate chip cookie, a signature Excite touch. What is not included: gratuities and travel insurance. The Bottom Line The Iberian Peninsula rewards every kind of traveler, but it especially rewards those who take the time to move slowly through it, to stay in a city long enough to find a favorite café, to see flamenco twice because once is never quite enough, to take a river cruise and understand why this landscape has produced wine for a thousand years. The Excite Spain and Portugal tour is built on that philosophy. It moves through the greatest hits, the Alhambra, the Prado, the Douro Valley, because they are genuinely extraordinary and there is no substitute for being there. But it also slows down in Ronda, lingers in Óbidos, gives you a second evening in Seville, and sends you through a medieval walled Portuguese village with a chocolate cup of cherry liqueur in your hand. Fourteen days in late September and early October, when the light is golden and the crowds have eased, with 21 meals, 4-star hotels, and airfare all included. This is one of the great European journeys. Do not wait for it. Call Excite at 402-293-9282 or book online at excitemytravel.com/tour/spain-and-portugal-2026 . Iberia is calling.

Excite Experience’s 10-day Scandinavia tour, running June 13 to 22, 2026, takes you through the very best that Denmark and Sweden have to offer. With airfare included, 10 meals covered, local guides, and all admissions taken care of, this is Northern Europe done right without the planning headache.