Whether it’s Spain’s flamenco dance or Portugal’s traditional fado music, new sights and sounds present themselves at every turn. Architect Anton Gaudi’s unfinished La Sagrada Familia Cathedral has become the symbol of Barcelona. Lisbon enchants travelers with its white-bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy-going charm. And that’s just two of the five towns we visit.

March 13-23, 2025

 

Package Includes:

• Round-trip airfare from Raleigh-Durham International Airport or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (-$100 pp)
• Nine nights’ hotel accommodations
• 13 meals: nine breakfasts and four dinners
• All sightseeing and admissions per itinerary
• Professional tour director
• Our State host
• Motor coach transportation
• Hotel transfers
• Baggage handling at hotels

 

Itinerary Highlights:

• Fado show in Lisbon
• Flamenco show in Seville
• Lisbon city tour
• Belém Tower
• Evora
• Seville city tour and the Cathedral of Seville
• Granada tour and the Alhambra Palace
• Toledo
• Madrid city tour
• Madrid Royal Palace
• High Speed AVE Train — Madrid to Barcelona
• Barcelona city tour
• La Sagrada Familia Cathedral
• Two-night stays in Lisbon, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona

 

Accomodations:

• Two nights in Lisbon: Marriott or Lutecia Smart Design
• Two nights in Seville: Melia Lebreros or Hotel Hesperia
• One night in Granada: Macia Real de La Alhambra, Hotel Corona, or similar
• Two nights in Madrid: Hotel Miguel Angel, Senator Gran Via 70, Novotel Center Hotel, or similar
• Two nights in Barcelona: Abba Sants Hotel or Senator Barcelona

On some dates, alternative hotels may be used.

 

Detailed Itinerary:

Click here to download a copy of the itinerary. 

 

Day 1: Overnight Flight
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Board your overnight flight to Europe.

 

Day 2: Arrive in Lisbon, Portugal
Friday, March 14, 2025

Arrive in Lisbon and meet your tour director. The capital of Portugal has experienced a renaissance in recent years with a thriving contemporary culture. Lisbon enchants travelers with its white-bleached limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, and an easy-going charm that makes it a popular year-round destination. Later, check into your hotel for a two-night stay.

Overnight: Marriott or Lutecia Smart Design in Lisbon

 

Day 3: Lisbon
Saturday, March 15, 2025

Today, enjoy a Lisbon city tour featuring the Moorish Alfama Quarter, Jerónimo’s Monastery (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the Monument to the Discoveries. Visit the Bélem Tower, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure to enjoy Lisbon and its culture at your own pace, or an optional tour will be available. This evening, join your fellow Our State travelers for a wine and beer reception. Next, enjoy an entertaining fado show and welcome dinner featuring traditional melancholy music with instruments like guitars and mandolins accompanied by poetic lyrics. The word fado translates to “fate,” and the music roots trace to the early 1800s.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 
Overnight: Marriott or Lutecia Smart Design in Lisbon

 

Day 4: Lisbon • Evora • Seville
Sunday, March 16, 2025

This morning, say goodbye to Lisbon and travel east to visit Evora, Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a Roman temple and a well-preserved Old Town center still partially enclosed by a medieval wall. Enjoy the scenery as you journey south and cross into Spain. Later, arrive in wonderful Seville for a two-night stay. Known for its many festivals, Moorish architecture, and, of course, flamenco, the capital of Spain’s Andalusia region is a buoyant city whose many cultures are reflected in its cuisine, buildings, art, and history.

Meals: Breakfast 
Overnight: Melia Lebreros or Hotel Hesperia in Seville

 

Day 5: Seville
Monday, March 17, 2025

This morning, enjoy a Seville city tour. Visit the Plaza de España in Maria Luisa Park. Then stroll through the fashionable Santa Cruz Quarter with its attractive wrought-iron balconies laden with flowers. See the well-preserved Alcázar, a Moorish fantasy in stone, set in richly scented gardens. Visit the massive Seville Cathedral, burial place of Christopher Columbus and enriched with the spoils of the New World. You may wish to walk the ramps of the Giralda Tower, the former minaret of the Great Mosque to enjoy panoramic views over the city. This evening, enjoy Spain’s fiery passion as you experience a flamenco show and dinner, including wine with a traditional meal and entertainment.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Melia Lebreros or Hotel Hesperia in Seville

 

Day 6: Seville • Granada
Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Today, travel to Granada in southern Spain in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Enjoy a Granada tour highlighted by a visit to the Alhambra Palace and Generalife, Granada’s main attraction and one of the most brilliant jewels of universal architecture with its series of palaces and gardens built under the Nazari Dynasty in the 14th century.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Macia Real de La Alhambra, Hotel Corona, or similar in Granada

 

Day 7: Granada • Toledo • Madrid
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Today, travel north to visit Toledo, the capital of Spain until 1560 and one of the most important centers of European medieval history. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and historical coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures. Visit the Toledo Cathedral, one of the three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain. Later, arrive in Madrid for a two-night stay in one of Europe’s great capital cities and a center of art, finance, culture, and history.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel Miguel Angel, Senator Gran Via 70, Novotel Center Hotel, or similar in Madrid

 

Day 8: Madrid
Thursday, March 20, 2025

The capital since 1561, Madrid is a perfect blend of modern and Old World. Today, enjoy a Madrid city tour, including the Puerta del Sol, Plaza España, Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, elegant Calle Alcalá, and Paseo de Castellana. Later, visit the Royal Palace, home to the Kings of Spain from Charles III to Alfonso XIII. The Royal Palace takes you on a journey through the history of Spain, and though it is no longer the royal family’s home, it continues to be their official residence. This afternoon is at leisure to explore Madrid on your own. Tonight, enjoy dinner featuring a traditional Spanish meal and wine at a local restaurant in Madrid.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Hotel Miguel Angel, Senator Gran Via 70, Novotel Center Hotel, or similar in Madrid

 

Day 9: Madrid • Barcelona
Friday, March 21, 2025

This morning, board the High Speed AVE Train to travel from Madrid to Barcelona. The Spanish AVE system is the longest high-speed rail network in Europe. Arrive in Barcelona, located on the Mediterranean Sea and featuring Progressive and Art Nouveau buildings. Enjoy a Barcelona city tour to see Las Ramblas Boulevard, a beautiful tree-lined pedestrian mall; Casa Mila, a building designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí; the Columbus Monument; and Parc Montjuic. Continue to see Gaudí’s unfinished La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the symbol of Barcelona. This evening is on your own to maybe visit a local restaurant on Las Ramblas.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Abba Sants Hotel or Senator in Barcelona

 

Day 10: Barcelona
Saturday, March 22, 2025

Today is at leisure to experience Barcelona at your own pace. Perhaps visit a museum, explore Gaudí’s famous Parc Guell, and/or enjoy a paella meal. An optional tour will be available to visit the Montserrat Monastery.

Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Overnight: Abba Sants Hotel or Senator in Barcelona

 

Day 11: Departure
Sunday, March 23, 2025

Transfer to the airport today for your flight home, filled with wonderful memories of Spain and Portugal.

Meals: Breakfast

 

Tour Rates:

Regular rate:$5,849 per person (based on double occupancy)
Booking discount*: $5,749 per person (based on double occupancy)
Single supplement: $1,350

*Make your final payment by check prior to the final payment due date and receive a booking discount of $200 per couple or $100 per single. Ask about the no-risk deposit.

 

For Reservations & More Information:

Premier World Discovery
Melissa Grant
(877) 953-8687, ext. 238 (Pacific Time)
mgrant@premierworlddiscovery.com

For more information on physical requirements and what to expect on an Our State trip, click here.

 

Explore More

Get excited for your trip and learn more about your destination with our curated list of books, films, music, and more.

 

Read

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001) — A New York Times best seller, this murder mystery follows a rare-book dealer’s son, who unwittingly uncovers a sinister plot to destroy one author’s works in 1945 Barcelona.

Night Train to Lisbon (2004) — In this novel, adapted for film in 2013, a Swiss professor is led on a mysterious adventure around Lisbon after discovering a set of abandoned notebooks belonging to a doctor who treated the head of the secret police.

Barcelona and Modernity: Picasso, Gaudí, Miró, Dalí (2006) — Scholarly essays and 600 color illustrations explore the local inspirations and global impact of four of Barcelona’s most famous modern artists.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (2019) — Set in Madrid during the violent dictatorship that followed the Spanish Civil War, this poignant love story between a local maid and the son of an American oil tycoon interweaves vintage media reports, oral histories, and photos from the period.

 

Watch

The Sun Also Rises (1957; YouTube, rent online) — Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway and starring North Carolina’s own Ava Gardner, this classic film is about the exploits of a group of American expats who travel to Pamplona, Spain, during the running of the bulls.

Man of La Mancha (1972; Amazon Prime Video, YouTube) — The film adaptation of the Broadway musical tells the story of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quixote, an aging knight whose fight — often against imagined foes — to restore chivalry unfolds among the rolling hills of southern Spain.

Mariza and the Story of Fado (2007, YouTube) — Learn about the traditional Portuguese music fado — recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity — through the soulful voice of one of the country’s most famous contemporary singers.

The Passion of Andalucia (2019, YouTube) — With everyday scenes of Southern Spain as its backdrop, this artistic nine-minute short film highlights traditional flamenco music and dancing — a staple in the region of Andalucia.

José Andrés and Family in Spain (2022; Max, Discovery+) — Celebrity Chef José Andrés takes his three American-born daughters on a journey to discover the food culture of his native Spain, including Barcelona (Episode 1) and Madrid (Episode 3).

 

Listen

History’s Greatest Cities: “Madrid” (Season 1, Episode 4), “Lisbon,” (Season 2, Episode 5), and “Granada” (Season 3, Episode 5) — Delve into the people and places that shaped the histories of three cities on our itinerary — plus where to go and what to do to experience that history today.

Amália Rodrigues — “The Queen of Fado” brought Portugal’s traditional music to the global stage with her passionate, hauntingly beautiful performances over the course of a more than 50-year career.
Other notable Portuguese fado musicians: Carlos do Carmo, Ana Moura, Mariza

Paco de Lucía — One of Spain’s most influential flamenco guitarists and composers also became famous for his classical and jazz crossovers, thanks largely to his fast and fluid playing style.
Other notable Spanish classical guitarists: Pepe Romero, Vicente Amigo, Esteban

Julio Iglesias — With more than 300 million albums sold in 14 languages, Madrid-born Iglesias is one of the top record sellers in music history. He’s best known for his romantic ballads and duets, including “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” with Willie Nelson and “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” with Dolly Parton.
Other notable Spanish pop musicians: Rocío Jurado, Enrique Iglesias, Rosalía, David Bisbal