Tour Inclusions

11 Nights
16 Meals 11 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Hotel
Driver
Tour Leader

Iberian Inspiration

12 days
Spain / Portugal
Max 18 Passengers

Overview

East meets West and past meets present: Spain and Portugal offer a heady mix of treasures, from Arabic palaces and Roman temples to Catholic cathedrals and Jewish synagogues. Join us as we take to the scenic back roads on this journey into the heart of ancient Iberia.

Worth Noting…

You’ll enjoy a guided tour of the spectacular Alhambra on day 6. Due to last-minute closures and private events, the sections you visit may differ depending on your departure date.

Tour Starts/Ends
1 Overnight Stop
Day Stop

Tour Highlights

Experience the historic charm of Córdoba, Granada, Úbeda, Estremoz and Ronda with stays in charming old town hotels
Sample authentic jamón ibérico at a traditional farm in Sierra de Aracena
Enjoy a traditional flamenco show in Seville
Visit the spectacular Córdoba Mezquita – a UNESCO-protected mosque

Gallery

Tour Itinerary

Expand Full Itinerary

Day 1 - Madrid (Spain)
Our tour will begin in vibrant Madrid, where we’ll meet the group and kick off our adventure with a delicious welcome dinner. Salud! Accommodation: Hotel Quatro Puerta Del Sol (or similar)
- Meals
  - Dinner
Day 2 - Madrid – Toledo
After breakfast, we'll board the mini-coach and head for Toledo - a beguiling riverside city where centuries of history come alive. A guided city tour and visits to the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes and the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca will help us get a grip on the area's unique cultural heritage before we retire to our hotel for the night. Accommodation: Hotel Carlos V (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 3 - Toledo – Valdepeñas – Córdoba
Today our journey will continue south across the vast plains of La Mancha towards Valdepeñas – where we’ll pause to visit a local bodega for a wine tasting session and lunch. Appetites satisfied, we’ll move on to beautiful Córdoba – our home for the next two nights. Accommodation: Las Casas de la Judería de Córdoba (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Lunch
Day 4 - Córdoba
Prepare to step back in time to the days of Islamic Iberia – a locally guided tour of Córdoba’s Old Town awaits! After visiting the spectacular Mezquita (a UNESCO-protected mosque), you’ll be free to explore the city at your own pace. Seek out hidden squares and local cafés, pamper yourself at a traditional hammam or simply sit back and marvel at the city’s magnificent architecture – this afternoon is all about you. Accommodation: Las Casas de la Judería de Córdoba (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 5 - Córdoba – Úbeda – Granada
Our next stop will be Úbeda, a World Heritage-listed town filled with spectacular Renaissance palaces. There will be just enough time to pause and taste some authentic Spanish olive oil before we move on to enchanting Granada. Accommodation: Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 6 - Granada
An energetic university city with an ancient past – Granada is truly magnificent. No visit would be complete without stepping foot in the ancient walled Alhambra fortress. One of the world’s best examples of Islamic architecture, we’ll enjoy a guided tour around a few sections of this intricately decorated complex. Then, the rest of the day is yours to explore Granada at your leisure. Accommodation: Sercotel Palacio de los Gamboa (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 7 - Granada – Ronda
You can rest assured that today’s journey will be just as much fun as the destination! From Granada, our path will turn east as we make the scenic journey to the mountaintop city of Ronda, where we’ll get our bearings on an orientation tour. Tonight, we’ll come together for dinner in a local restaurant. Accommodation: Hotel Maestranza (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 8 - Ronda – Grazalema, Arcos and Jerez – Seville
Today it’s back on the road – with stops at the picturesque white villages of Grazalema and Arcos to look forward to. This afternoon we’ll set our sights on Jerez – where we’ll be treated to a sherry tasting session and tapas lunch at a local winery. Tonight, a traditional flamenco show will help us settle into Seville. Accommodation: Las Casas de la Judería (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Lunch
Day 9 - Seville
We’ve a full day to spend getting acquainted with the charismatic city of Seville. First, a locally guided walking tour and a visit to the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alcázar of Seville. Then, the day is yours to spend at your leisure. Whether you want to seek out Roman ruins, hunt down Moorish mosaics or visit classical squares, there are plenty of historic sites to keep you occupied here. Feeling hungry? You could always sample some Andalucían specialities at one of the city’s abundant bars... Accommodation: Las Casas de la Judería (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 10 - Seville – Sierra De Aracena
Back to nature today. After breakfast we’ll make tracks to the Sierra de Aracena, an unspoilt mountain range peppered with castles, quaint villages and pastures. While we’re here, we’ll pay a visit a local pig farm – where we’ll be lucky enough to taste some authentic jamón ibérico and local cheeses. Accommodation: Hotel Convento Aracena (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
Day 11 - Sierra De Aracena – Monsaraz (Portugal) – Estremoz
Our first stop of the day will be Monsaraz, a charming Portuguese hilltop village with sweeping views of the Alqueva Dam. We’ll take some time to explore its narrow streets before moving on to Estremoz for an afternoon of leisure time. Tonight, we’ll raise a toast to our Iberian adventure over a farewell dinner. Accommodation: Pousada Castelo de Estremoz (or similar)
- Meals
  - Breakfast
  - Dinner
Day 12 - Estremoz – Évora – Lisbon
Onwards to Évora, the capital of the Alentejo region. This afternoon will see our tour come to a close in postcard-perfect Lisbon.
- Meals
  - Breakfast

Tour Inclusions

Accommodation

- 11 nights in hand-picked accommodation

The Crew

- Experienced Tour Leader and Driver

Transport

- Premium mini-coach transportation

Reviews

155 reviews

Reviews Rating

18th October 2024
Review rating

We very much enjoyed the Iberian Inspiration tour. The itinerary gave us great insights into the historic and current culture of Southern Spain. All tour guides were passionate about their subject nmatter and provided excellent information regarding the various buildings/sights/towns and cities visited. Accommodation was good and the small bus concept provided a comfortable tour and allowed good interaction with oiur fellow travellers. One of the highlights was our tour host Patrizia. We could not have wished for a better person to travel with us and make our journey interesting, safe and enjoyable.
17th October 2024
Review rating

Fabulous time in Spain with a great group of people. Tour leader Pam was knowledgeable, helpful and a good companion to the whole group. Tour was well organized with most visits in the AM which left us able to ad lib in the afternoons. Special mention to. Jorge. He is a fantastic driver who knew exactly where we were going
17th October 2024
Review rating

I am sad to say this trip did not meet our expectations, especially having been on a previous trip with your company to Tuscany approximately 10 years ago. I found the tour guide Pamela to be somewhat too lay back and not really that motivated. Pamela repeatedly told us she had her own private business also and perhaps she may be focussing too much on her own business instead of her obligations to Backroads. Also some of the hotels were very ordinary and always seemed to be in major cities. The name "Backroads" gives the impression your travel and stay in less busier locations. I can appreciate the fact that it is nice to be closer to main attractions. You have a bus which could be more fully utilised by staying just out of major towns and cities and this would be more cost effective for your company. We stayed at some very ordinary hotels which were also very noisy, being woken up on several occasions. I do not like to give a negative review but feel it is important for you to get honest feedback on our recent experience with Backroads. Hopefully this feedback is constructive to you in addressing the issues I have outlined. Robin Murphy.