Spanish tapas, or pintxos, on the counter at a bar in San Sebastian, Spain

Taste of Spain and Portugal Itinerary

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Portugal, Spain

Places Visited

Lisbon, Evora, Salamanca, Porto...

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Suggested Duration

18 Days

This 18-day adventure from the old world to the next generation of gastronomy will explore the very best of six incredible culinary regions, including Lisbon, Douro Valley, Porto, Basque, La Rioja, and Catalonia. The handpicked restaurants are amongst the finest on the planet but this itinerary isn’t just lavish dining and wine tasting. You’ll uncover many angles through markets, farms, informal cafes, a pintxo crawl, and an undersea winery as you explore Europe’s great cities and landscapes. 

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Dine at some of the world’s finest restaurants, from Michelin dining on vineyards to the number two on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list
  • Arouse all the senses in four world-famous wine regions, including Portugal’s Upper Douro, Spain’s La Rioja, Catalonia’s Penedes region, and in much newer Alentejo
  • Explore the culinary scene from all the different angles, including food markets, organic farms, cultivated tasting sessions, and a pintxo (Basque-style tapas) crawl in Bilbao
  • Escape into the surreal countryside and embrace the rural atmosphere of both countries as Alentejo is wild and beautiful while the Douro Valley and La Rioja define rural pleasure
  • Uncover the next generation of gastronomy with a visit to the world’s first underwater winery in Plentzia and the molecular brilliance of Basque restaurants
  • Immerse yourself in World Heritage cities, where the harmony of the architecture creates a feeling of a distant time and space

Detailed Description

The cuisines of Spain and Portugal are a diverse and tasty reflection of the unique regions. These two countries are a jigsaw puzzle of regions, each with their own traditions and creativity. This 17-day itinerary will take you on a journey through the best of the regions to embrace the old-world recipes and the new age of cooking. These are the regions where Iberia’s finest restaurants are located, including many that have had a defining influence on worldwide fine dining. However, the experience will not just be about dining at hard-to-reserve-a-table restaurants. You’ll travel to destinations that celebrate the gastronomic sphere of possibility such as an underwater winery, Michelin dining at a food market, tasting at vintage farms, and hopping between pintxo bars in Bilbao.

You will begin in Lisbon and the Tagus River, which provide classic interpretations of Portuguese food and dishes that are familiar to you. Then, travel to the Upper Douro, which tastes different as it is heavy on pork and game meats, food that expertly accompanies the world’s first World Heritage wine region. Porto may be on the Douro but its fine cuisine has been crafted with the ubiquitous port in mind. After Portugal, you go on to Basque, Spain’s culinary capital that showcases a baffling diversity of flavors and experience. Finally, La Rioja is the legendary Spanish wine destination and precedes an intimate look at Catalan food.

Every day on the itinerary will feature a culinary element. It may be a restaurant reservation, a guided tasting, something unusual, or something famous. Along the way, you’ll discover some of Europe’s great cities, from the colors of Lisbon to baroque Porto, palatial San Sebastian to artisanal Barcelona. Rural landscapes add plenty of further charm, as the route leads you across open plains to golden sandstone cities and the villages from the past. Read some of our travelers’ reviews for Spain to discover new experiences to add to your own tour.

Starting Price

$15,907 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.94 stars based on 430 reviews.

Spain, Portugal Vacation Review: San Sebastian, Porto, Douro...
"The itinerary designed by Zicasso’s travel team met all...

Reviewed By Douglas H.

Portugal, Spain Travel Review: Porto, Sintra, Douro Valley,...
"This was our first time using Zicasso and we found the...

Reviewed By Barb S.

Spain, Portugal Luxury Vacation Review: Barcelona, Lisbon,...
"Our travel agent promised we would have the best trip,...

Reviewed By Randi F.

Spain, Portugal Vacation Review: Lisbon, Douro Valley, Barcelona,...
"We felt like we were in incredible hands every step of...

Reviewed By Kylee T.

Spain, Portugal & France Luxury Vacation Review: San...
"The trip was absolutely flawless and one of our most favorite...

Reviewed By Lisa H.

Spain & Portugal Couples Trip Review: Porto, Lisbon,...
"We have traveled for many years around the world and the...

Reviewed By Colleen B.

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