Trail of Columbus 2012

Itinerary

Day 1 Lisbon, Portugal. Welcome to Lisbon!

We meet our Trip Leader and fellow travellers. Tonight we check out Bairro Alto, one of the oldest districts in Lisbon and the heart of Lisbon’s nightlife. (D)

Day 2 Lisbon

Today we have a free day to check out the many attractions Lisbon has to offer. (B)

Day 3 Lisbon to Porto

En route to Porto we stop at the nearby town of Sintra to visit the Palacio Nacional da Pena, one of the best examples of 19th century Romantic Architecture in Portugal. We also stop at Vila Nova de Gaia, just across the river from Porto and the port capital of the world! Here we enjoy a tour and tasting at one of the many port cellars. (B,D)

Day 4 Porto 

Check out the Ribeira district, the famous medieval old town of Porto. We see many azulejos, the handpainted tiles that characterize many of Portugal’s buildings. The ones on Sao Bento Station depict the country’s history. (B)

Day 5 Porto to Madrid, Spain

To the capital of Spain, magical Madrid. En route we stop at Salamanca, one of the most spectacular renaissance cities in Europe and home to the oldest university in Spain. (B)

Day 6 Madrid

On our city tour we see the Royal Palace, home to one of Europe’s oldest monarchies, and the Plaza Mayor. There is plenty of free time to visit the Prado or relax in the peaceful botanical gardens. (B,D)

Day 7 Madrid to San Sebastian

First stop Segovia then it’s on to San Sebastian in the Basque Country. (B,D)

Day 8 San Sebastian

Try your hand at surfing or just chill on the beach. Later today check out the city’s many pintxos (tapas) bars in the old town. (B)

Day 9 San Sebastian to Barcelona

First stop today Zaragoza then it’s on to the funky city of Barcelona. (B,D)

Day 10 Barcelona

Our trip ends today after breakfast. (B)

For the relevant pre-departure information, please see document titled ‘Spain, Portugal, Morocco Pre-Departure Info 2011’.

Please also note that this trip forms part of the Iberian Voyager trip, days 12 - 21.