Tour Highlights

• Return airfare from major Canadian Gateways

• 10 nights in superior tourist class accommodations

• Tours and attractions as outlined in brochure

• Meals as outlined

• Meals: 9 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 8 Dinners

• Services of full time professional local tour manager, with rural & agricultural background

• PLUS more……

DAY 01: Feb 06, 2024:  [IFM]
Depart North America on an overnight flight into Madrid, Spain.

DAY 02: Feb 07, 2024: MADRID, SPAIN   [IFM/D]
Morning arrival in Madrid. Pass through immigration and customs and meet your local guide and driver who will be with you the duration of the tour. Panoramic tour into Madrid. Visit the neoclassical Basilica of St Francis the Great that was constructed in 1760 under Carlos III. The dome is the largest in Spain and the fourth largest in Europe. Visit the Almudena Cathedral, started in 1889 and consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993. Continue to visit the Royal Palace. Madrid’s Royal Palace was constructed on the site of the old Alcazar fortress that was a Moorish castle using similar plans to the Louvre. It is an official residence of the royal family. Of particular interest are the Royal Armoury and the Painting Gallery with art by Caravaggio, Goya, Morales and others. Rest and time to have lunch on own at a street side restaurant. Continue to hotel for check-in and time for rest.

DAY 03: Feb 08, 2024: MADRID - TOLEDO - MADRID, SPAIN   [B/L]
After breakfast depart to the old imperial city of Toledo, which has become a symbol of the peaceful coexistence between Christian, Jews and Muslims. Enjoy a walking city tour of the old town. Visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria (13th C) and the Alcazar (16th C). Also of note are two well preserved medieval Jewish synagogues from 1492. Lunch included. This afternoon visit a Manchego Cheese factory and manchega sheep farm. Return to Madrid.

DAY 04: Feb 09, 2024: MADRID - COLMENAR - SEGOVIA, SPAIN  [B/L/D]
After breakfast depart to Colmenar to visit a cattle farm. Lunch included. Continue to Segovia, a UNESCO world heritage site. The old city contains a multitude of historic buildings including a large number of buildings of Jewish origin. See the Roman aqueduct, the Alcazar and the Cathedral. Visit the Alcazar, a 12th Century medieval stone fortress hovering on a granite rock over the confluence of two rivers. Dinner and overnight Segovia.

DAY 05: Feb 10, 2024: SEGOVIA - DUERO - SEGOVIA, SPAIN [B/D]
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning visit the wine producing area of Duero where production dates back to the 10th Century. The soil is rich in iron and good drainage producing pH balanced wines. Huge cornfields dominate this flat, sparsely populated landscape know as the breadbasket of Spain. Lunch included. Visit a crop farm whereby there will be no crops in the ground at this time of year. Speak with the farmer and local agribusinessmen about farming in their region. Return to Segovia.

DAY 06: Feb 11, 2024:  SEGOVIA - SALAMANCA [B/L/D]
Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning to enjoy Segovia. Lunch included. Visit a pig farm specializing in Iberian ham. Spain has developed a protected brand and unique breed of pig that feeds on acorns and produces a unique ham. Continue to Salamanca, which was once an important trading center. The city is known for its University, one of the oldest in Europe, with more than 40,000 students. The city is a UNESCO protected World Heritage Site.

DAY 07: Feb 12, 2024:  SALAMANCA, SPAIN - PORTO, PORTUGAL   [B/D]
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the lively Central Market where produce, seafood and meats have been sold for centuries. Depart to Portugal border. Enjoy a boat cruise through the Douro River valley. The river carved deep valleys and then man transformed the schist mountains into stepped terraces, with exposure to the sun, planting wine grapes. It is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. The Douro River was also the only source of transportation from deep inland to the Atlanta for the rich fruits and vegetables grown in the region. Lunch included. Visit a wine bodega to learn about wine growing and enjoy a tasting. Continue to Porto.

DAY 08: Feb 13, 2024: PORTO, PORTUGAL  [B/L]
After breakfast, visit the town of Porto for a walking tour. Porto is at the mouth of the Douro River, expelling into the Atlantic Ocean. The city has half a million inhabitants and is the third largest city in Portugal. Porto is a market town, rich with traders, is shown through its astounding architecture. It is known as “The Baroque City” with narrow, winding streets dense with buildings. Port wine hales from this region and the day will end with a port wine tasting. Visit the local farmer’s market as well as a supermarket to see how locals shop. This afternoon visit an agricultural cooperative to learn about their supply chain and the marketing for the farmers.

DAY 09: Feb 14, 2024: PORTO - FATIMA, PORTUGAL  [B/L]
Breakfast at hotel and depart. The first visit of the day is to a cork factory to learn about the process of stripping the bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber). This region has been exploiting the cork oak since the 2nd Century. The trunks are peeled where the first layer, full of resin, is used for corkboards or thermal insulation. Every 8 to 12 years, the secondary layers can be harvested for the production of bottle corks and other items. This region is the world leader in cork production. Continue to visit a Charolais cattle farm. Lunch included. This afternoon meeting with local city officials to learn about their promotion of rural and agricultural activities. End the day in Fatima.

DAY 10: Feb 15, 2024: FATIMA - LISBON, PORTUGAL    [B/L/D]
After breakfast depart to the monastery of Saint Mary of the Victor in Bathalha with an abbey dated to the 12th C. A part of the UNESCO heritage site faculty, it has been an important part of Portugal’s history. The city of Fatima serves as a Catholic pilgrimage site due to the fact that in 1917 three shepherd’s children returned from tending sheep and saw an apparition resembling the Virgin Mary that spoke to them. Continue for lunch at a hacienda. Technical visit of the hacienda which has 50,000 acres and specializes in wheat farming, wine, rice, olives, feedstuffs, cattle and horses. They also have an intensive forestry management program for their pines, eucalyptus and other trees that are utilized for wood production.

DAY 11: Feb 16, 2024: LISBON, PORTUGAL [B/D]
Breakfast at hotel. Touring of Lisbon starting with a visit to the Castle of Sao Jorge with a stunning view of the city. Continue through the maze of alleyways of the Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest quarter. Continue to the Belem district to visit the Belem Tower. Lunch on own and free time in afternoon. Farewell dinner with Fado Show showcasing traditional music of Portugal.

DAY 12: Feb 17, 2024: END OF TOUR  [B/IFM]
Following breakfast the hotel, check out and transfer to the Lisbon Airport and the flight back to North America.

Per Person, Double - $8,894.00 including air

Plus Air/Government Taxes of $884.60
Single Add:  $862.00

Initial Deposit - $2,000.00 Per Person at time of booking
Final Payment - Due prior to December 15, 2023

Airfare included from major North American gateways.

Gallery