Spain & Portugal in Depth (2012)

Madrid • Cordoba • Torremolinos • Seville • Lisbon
  • 14 days
  • from only:
  • $1995
  • $143 per day
    Land Tour Only
  • 15 days
  • from only:
  • $2695
  • $180 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
2012 SPE Map
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Video: Travelers' experiences of Spain & Portugal in Depth
What Makes This Trip Unique
It's Included
Featured Accommodations
Pre- & Post-Trip Extensions
Bilbao, Spain (Basque Country)
The Island of Madeira, Portugal
Optional Tours
Local Team & Insider Tips
Know Before You Go
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your vacation, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two vacations to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the Grand Circle vacation that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your vacation
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your vacation with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of Grand Circle vacations to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Miami

9hrs

Boston, Chicago, New York (JFK)

8hrs

Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, DC (Dulles)

12hrs

Houston, Phoenix, Portland, OR, Seattle, Tampa

14hrs

Los Angeles

11hrs

Minneapolis, Newark

13hrs

San Francisco

15hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Madrid, Spain. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the Grand Circle family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on a Grand Circle trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610
or click here.

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Pre-Trip: Bilbao, Spain (Basque Country)

3 nights pre-trip from only $845

An autonomous community on the northern cusp of Spain, Basque Country is a fiercely independent province with its own distinct heritage, language, and cuisine. Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Spain, from north to south, by adding a pre-trip stay in Basque Country’s cultural capital, Bilbao—home of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, one of the greatest architectural triumphs of our time.

Single Supplement: FREE. 

Please note: This extension only available on select departures. Prices from select departure cities include an additional $300 in airfare. Ask your Travel Counselor for details.

It's Included

  • Air transportation from Bilbao to Madrid
  • Accommodations for 3 nights in Bilbao at the First-Class Husa Jardines de Albia or similar
  • 3 meals: 3 breakfasts
  • Included tour: Bilbao city tour, including admission to the Guggenheim Museum
  • Exclusive services of a Grand Circle Hospitality Desk representative
  • All transfers
Day 1
Depart U.S.

Fly from one of several gateway cities to Bilbao.
Day 2
Bilbao/Orientation walk

Arrive in Bilbao today. A Grand Circle representative meets you at the airport and assists you to your hotel.

Enjoy the balance of the afternoon at leisure to settle into your room and relax after your flight. You are invited to join a short walk around the neighborhood of your hotel.

Located on the Nervión River, Bilbao is home to nearly half the population of the Basque Country. By the early 1900s, it had grown to become the wealthiest city in Spain, center of the country’s mining, steel, and shipbuilding industries. Although civil war and flooding devastated the city during the mid-20th century, the construction of the forward-looking Guggenheim Museum and the surrounding infrastructure sparked a renaissance that has brought new life to Bilbao. Today, you’ll find a sleek subway system, modern museums and shops—and vestiges of the city’s earlier heyday in the old quarter near the Puente del Arenal bridge.

You’ll also find a paradise for food-lovers, with a wealth of fish and seafood, mushrooms, vegetables, cheeses, and desserts creatively prepared using traditional Basque methods. Perhaps you’ll have your first sample this evening, over dinner on your own. Your Grand Circle Hospitality Desk representative can give you some suggestions.
Day 3
Bilbao/Panoramic city tour/Guggenheim Museum

Bilbao is defined today by the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 1997. Yet there is much more to this Basque capital to discover. Dissected by the Nervión River, it offers the old city on one bank and more modern attractions on the other. Get acquainted with the city on an included tour this morning, including entrance to the Guggenheim.

The afternoon is yours to probe the treasures of Bilbao. Perhaps you’ll probe the too-often overlooked Museum of Fine Arts, with its collections of works from El Greco, Goya, Velazquez, Gauguin, and others. Stroll the Puente de Vizcaya (Hanging Bridge). Or visit the Catedral de Santiago, the oldest church in the city.

Venture out into Bilbao’s vibrant neighborhoods this evening to sample the fresh cuisine for which Basque Country is famous.
Day 4
Bilbao

Today is yours to pursue your own interests in Basque Country. Perhaps you’ll take a day trip to sophisticated San Sebastian. Set on La Concha, the famous, scallop-shell-shaped beach, San Sebastian was once a popular seaside retreat for Madrid’s aristocracy. Today, it is a warren of charming promenades, shops, and gardens. It is also considered by many to be the gastronomic center of Basque Country. Perhaps you’ll try one of the many excellent restaurants during a day at leisure here.

Or spend the day delving further into Bilbao. Explore the Old Quarter and admire the 64 arches that surround the Plaza Nueva. Perhaps you’ll visit the Iglesia de San Nicolas, then ride the elevator behind it to the Plaza Unamuno. Immerse yourself in the Basque culture at the Museum of Basque Archaeology, Ethnology, and History. Or stroll the Gran Via, Bilbao’s main boulevard.
Day 5
Bilbao/Fly to Madrid

After breakfast, you’ll transfer to the airport for your flight to Madrid, where you'll begin your discoveries of Spain & Portugal in Depth.