'Magnifico' Spain and Portugal Tour
18 Glorious Days
- Leisurely 2 and 3 night stays
- Small group size from just 10 to 28
- Genuinely inclusive, no additional on tour costs
- Character hotels in superb locations
- Designed for Australians & New Zealanders
- 'My Time' guaranteed
Tour Overview
Highlights
- Explore the Alhambra Palace and the verdant Gardens of the Generalife
- Relax with free time in Granada’s old town
- Stay 3 nights in Seville’s vibrant Santa Cruz neighbourhood
- Walk over the famous chasm at Ronda
- Dine at a Spanish Flamenco dinner show
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Stay 3 nights in a renovated 16th century citadel complex
- See the Monument to the Discoveries and Belem Tower in Lisbon
- Explore dramatic, mountain top Palace de Pena in Sintra
- Experience a traditional Portuguese Fado dinner show
- Stay 3 nights in the heart of Porto on the River Douro
- Enjoy a port tasting and tapas lunch
- Taste Vinho Verde at Aveleda Wine Estate
- Relax on a lunch cruise on the Alto Douro
- Explore the striking monuments and Plaza Mayor in Salamanca
- See Segovia’s dramatic Alcázar and relax beside the massive stone aqueduct
- Enjoy a special farewell dinner with dramatic city views
Get yourself ready for the 'Magnifico' Spain and Portugal Tour by reading more information on Portugal and Spain from our helpful destination section!

'Magnifico' won the title
I wanted to call this tour Paradors, Pousadas and Palaces because of the stunning selection of ‘antique’ hotels we stay in, but ‘Magnifico’ won the title. When designing it, it just struck me that we had a fantastic opportunity to create a dramatically different tour staying in some of the most extraordinary ‘timepiece’ hotels in Europe.
We could quite easily have gone for modern, steel, concrete and glass first class hotels and kept the price down but that would be so boring, so dull, so ordinary and would not have been even remotely sensitive to these gorgeous, evocative destinations. Spain and Portugal - home and heart to two empires that stretched across the globe spanning centuries of conquistadores, galleons, castles and monasteries, port and sherry, Fado and Flamenco, the strum of the Spanish guitar, the click of heels and the clack of castanets. We had to do it justice.
Where we stay adds so much depth and flavour. Distinctly Spanish and Portuguese. The name ‘Magnifico’ won because the longer, 2 and 3 night stays in our selection of hotels set the scene wonderfully for our unique activities and inclusions – such as Portuguese pastries and coffee in Lisbon’s Belem district and chartering our own lunchtime cruise boat to sail on the Alto Douro. It is the complete touring experience which makes it absolutely ‘Magnifico’.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Madrid welcome
Day 2: Cordoba's Mesquita and Granada
Day 3: Alhambra Palace and ‘My Time’ in Granada
Day 4: Stunning Ronda and Seville
Day 5: Seville sightseeing and ‘My Time’
Day 6: Atlantic port of Cadiz, Seville and Flamenco lesson
Day 7: Évora sightseeing and delightful Cascais
Day 8: Lisbon sightseeing and 'My Time'
Day 9: Palace de Pena, Sintra, Cabo da Roca and ‘My Time’ in Cascais
Day 10: Obidos, Nazaré and Porto
Day 11: Porto sightseeing and ‘My Time’
Day 12: Bom Jesus Sanctuary, Guimarães and Wine Tasting
Hand Selected Experience
An absolutely ‘Magnifico’ experience
No visit to Portugal would be complete without sampling a glass of smooth white Vinho Verde in an age old, historical wine estate. Visiting the 350 year old Quinta da Aveleda winery is like stepping into a different world. Behind its large entrance gate, you will find the villa and 160 hectares of manicured vines. The winery is surrounded by magnificent gardens and century-old trees. Your hosts, the Guedes family, keep ancestral traditions alive, creating award winning Vinho Verde wine. An absolutely ‘Magnifico’ experience.
Day 13: Scenic lunch cruise on River Douro
Hand Selected Experience
Cruise the River Douro
The River Douro stretches from Spain’s Duruelo de la Sierra across to Porto in the West. But it is only the Alto Douro or ‘High’ Douro region that is UNESCO Heritage Listed – a 2000 year old wine-producing region with age old terraced vineyards, quintas (winery complexes) and villages. This is where we enjoy a unique tapas lunch cruise. We could board a large, impersonal tourist boat but instead we choose to charter our own private ‘Barco Rabelo’ to complete an amazing touring experience.
Day 14: Salamanca sightseeing and ‘My Time’
Day 15: El Valle de los Caidos and El Escorial
Day 16: Segovia sightseeing and ‘My Time’
Day 17: Toledo sightseeing and ‘My Time’
Day 18: To Madrid
Incredible Value Inclusions
- ALL excursions, scenic drives, sightseeing and entrances as described
- Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
- Travel in a first class air-conditioned touring coach
- AVE train Madrid to Córdoba
- 17 nights specially selected hotel accommodation
- Hotel porterage (1 bag per person)
- 29 Meals – including breakfast daily (B), Andalusian lunch in Ronda, tapas
- lunch in Porto and tapas lunch cruise on the River Douro (L), 9 dinners
- including a Flamenco Dinner show and Fado Dinner show (D)
- Tea, coffee and a complimentary beverage with all included dinners
- Welcome drink in Madrid and Aveleda Vinho Verde wine tasting
- Hand Selected Albatross Experiences - Flamenco dance class Seville,
- port warehouse visit and tasting, River Douro lunch cruise
- Local guides as described in the itinerary
- ALL tips to your Tour Manager, Driver and Local Guides
- Personal audio system whilst on tour
- Free WiFi at hotels
No additional 'on tour' costs
Your Hotels

Alhambra Palace Hotel, Granada – 2 Nights
Inspired by the beauty of Alhambra, the Alhambra Palace Hotel offers spectacular views across Granada and features Moorish inspired décor. Located just outside Alhambra Palace’s ancient walls, it is just a short walk to many attractions including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Albayzin.

Hotel Fernando III, Seville - 3 Nights
Located in Seville’s Santa Cruz neighbourhood, this elegant, Andalusian-style hotel is six minutes’ walk from the Gothic Seville Cathedral. The air-conditioned rooms feature a contemporary design and offer the ideal combination of comfort and functionality.

Hotel Pestana Cidadela Pousada & Art District, Cascais – 3 Nights
*15 June departure stays 3 nights at Hotel Vila Gale in Cascais

Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel, Porto – 3 Nights

Hospes Palacio de San Esteban, Salamanca – 2 Nights
This stylish hotel is set in a renovated convent and superbly located in the heart of Salamanca, five minutes’ walk from the Plaza Mayor, one of Spain’s most beautiful squares.

Hotel Real Segovia – 2 Nights
This recently renovated 4-star hotel is located in the centre of Segovia between the Cathedral and Aqueduct. The hotel features classic and elegant décor.

Parador Hotel, Toledo – 1 Night
Tour Reviews
I was so impressed with the whole itinerary & especially the fact that we stayed more than 1 night in the different places. We had an excellent Tour Manager who was just so lovely to all & so knowledgable & helpful. This was such a bonus as I write up a journal each night on the days experiences & places & had much more information than was in the itinerary. I must say how very careful & what an excellent coach driver we had & so helpful to us all as we were exiting the coach. I have a problesome hip & his help was invaluable (I called him my hero each time). I was also so impressed with the amount of free time we were given which was so good as the shopping in Spain & Portugal is a dream. I have been on another tour with another company & it was very sad that we only had such limited free time we hardly had time to shop. This is such an important part of visiting another country. I would certainly recommend Albatross to all & I am so pleased to have done this tour. The places we stayed were the best & we certainly saw the most important features in every part of the countries.
Thank you for making my tour so memorable.
Elaine

We enjoyed everything about the tour. We had an excellent Tour Manager, her knowledge of Spain and Portugal and their history couldn't be bettered. The accommodation was first class, with a good mix of central and historical hotels.
We love the extra nights and free time that an Albatross Tour provides. Would certainly recommend Albatross Tours.
Jan
Valmai

Thanks Albatross - Another great tour. The Spain and Portugal tour was our fifth Albatross tour and we have not been let down! For me there were many highlights but the Valley of the Fallen and the Basilica de la Santa Cruz followed by Toledo was a perfect last memory of our adventure in Spain/ Portugal. Our tour manager, Darren, was helpful when our luggage was lost by Air France at the beginning of our tour. I can't thank him enough for his support at such a trying time.
Carolyn

I found touring with Albatross Tours to be a very enriching experience. Spain and Portugal were both new to me and I enjoyed exploring them both immensely. As well as spending a fair amount of time in large cities, we also explored smaller towns along the way to saw the diverse character of the small towns. Our tour manager was very helpful and knowledgeable. Out meals were fabulous and we had along with the included excursions a suitable amount of time to do our own thing which was great. Thank you Albatross Tours. I have no hesitation in recommending you to all and I cannot wait to tour with you again.
Anne

We loved everything about the Magnifico Spain & Portugal tour. Darren our tour manager was great. Very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a lovely group on the tour and have told all of our friends about our great experiences with Albatross. We will definitely be booking another tour!
Christine

John

Albatross Tours, thank you so much for our tour Magnifico Spain and Portugal. It was indeed Magnifico from start to finish!
The hotels were top class and memorable. Our Tour Director/Leader was outstanding and our driver extremely competent in all situations.
We thoroughly enjoyed all the visits on our tour and found the extra days and free time an added bonus other tour companies do not often provide. The option to not tour and do your own thing if you wanted was there also. We walked a lot, but for someone who doesn’t often use the word ‘walk’ in her vocabulary I hardly noticed. Just wear good shoes and don’t expect to lose any kilos – the food is just too good!
The group we travelled with were mostly couples from Australia (all states), a few from New Zealand and a couple from the UK. The ages ranged from 25 years – 75 years. There were a number of singles on this trip too. Everyone got on well and new friendships were made while we explored Spain and Portugal together. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour; in fact I’d do it again tomorrow if I could.
Sylvie- Anne

Exceptional tour.
The itinerary was very well considered, well paced and with a very good mix of structured touring and free time. This gave us the opportunity to have the very best experience from each stop.
We were particularly drawn to the longer stays at each location and to the smaller touring group, a major reason why we chose Albatross Tours. In this we were not disappointed, the longer stays were great, we felt so much more relaxed. We really felt that we were on holiday! Each day brought with it a sense of adventure at an enjoyable pace.
The hotels were very good and well chosen for character, location and style.
The number of inclusions for meals was very good including breakfast each day and most dinners. My dietary needs were well catered too with our tour guide making sure that myself and others with dietary needs were given a broad range of food during the tour.
Local guides were provided to take us through towns and places of interest.These were great and vastly improved our understanding and appreciation of the places that we visited.
Our tour guide was excellent, her knowledge of Spain and Portugal was outstanding. In addition,our driver was great and the bus both comfy and spotless.
We would not hesitate to take another Albatross tour and would recommend this tour to others.
Irene Fitzpatrick

Thankyou for providing such a fantastic tour. We had no idea what to expect from Spain other than the notes in the brochure. The country-side, the culture, the food, the history and the architecture were mind-boggling. Each day seemed to surpass the day before, without taking anything away from what we had already seen. It was truly amazing. Albatross and particularly our tour manager, Darren, are to be congratulated for providing us with an experience that will live long and wonderfully in our memories.
Joy

Judith

Sarah, June 2018

Peter, June 2018

Michael M, July 2018

Tour went without a hitch! Darren, our guide, was superb! He was cool, very calm, very professional throughout. José, our bus driver, was a great driver, getting into and out of some very difficult situations. Always polite and courteous and, at each stop, would get out and help us safely from the bus. The bus was kept scrupulously clean as well. Overall, a wonderful and unforgettable experience. Flamenco dancing was a hoot!! We would never had done this ourselves.
Terri

We have had a very enjoyable trip made all the better by the professionalism of our guide and driver. Our tour was well named – ‘magnifico’.
Michael

Tour highlight: Segovia's aqueduct. No improvement needed. Tour leader exceptionally good.
David

Our tour has provided us with magnificent insight into a country resplendent with superb scenery, numerous world heritage sights and a rich and varied cultural tapestry. Marta worked tirelessly to ensure her customers were well looked after and attended to.
My personal highlights were Ronda, the mosque in Cordoba, Lisbon, Braga, Guimaraes, Segovia and Toledo. The Flamenco dancing and the Fado were also spectacular. The tour guide in Envora was outstanding as was Rita in isbon and the gentleman in Segovia. Each of these people allowed their personalities to shine through whilst providing significant information. The hotel accommodation was outstanding. The Alhambra Palace hotel was grand and I greatly enjoyed the rooftop in Seville. The hotels were well located and central to the noteworthy sights.
Geoff and Clare

Thank you again for another perfect Albatross tour... the behind the scenes effort by all to give us such a wonderful experience is very much appreciated.
Yvonne and Reg

I enjoyed everyday of this tour. Always plenty of stops on the way and every place we visited exceeded my expectations. Our guide, john, made our touring so interesting with his knowledge, he was happy and never rushed us. Our driver Riccardo was fantastic, I was in awe of how he got that bus right where he wanted it! I felt so safe with him at the wheel. I loved the 2 and 3 night stop. No feeling of being rushed around. He highlight was beautiful Porto and Segovia but I loved everywhere we visited.
Carol

We are so amazed of the quality of the tour. It has been the best time. A big 10/10 has to go to Miguel for his professionalism, knowledge and customer service he displayed throughout the entire tour.
Will

Dates and Prices
Start Date | End Date | Price Per Person | Availability | ||
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24 Aug 2021 | 10 Sep 2021 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
21 Sep 2021 | 8 Oct 2021 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
26 Apr 2022 | 13 May 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
10 May 2022 | 27 May 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
24 May 2022 | 10 Jun 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
14 Jun 2022 | 1 Jul 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
23 Aug 2022 | 9 Sep 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
6 Sep 2022 | 23 Sep 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale | |||
20 Sep 2022 | 7 Oct 2022 | Not Yet Open For Sale |