Discovery of Spain & North Portugal — 14 Days (Self-Launched)
14 days · Spain & North Portugal
Click Tours charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of Click Tours' 14-day "Discovery of Spain & North Portugal" coach tour. Same route — Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada, Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, Santillana del Mar, Covadonga, Oviedo, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, the Rías Baixas and Porto, finishing back in Madrid via Salamanca — but done on Spain and Portugal's excellent public trains and buses, staying in hostels and budget guesthouses, and booking the same sights (Alhambra, Cordoba Mosque-Cathedral, Santiago Cathedral, Porto port cellars) directly or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Costs are approximate per-person budget-traveller estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Madrid to Cordoba to Sevilla
Madrid / Cordoba / Sevilla
Start in Madrid and take a morning high-speed AVE train south to Cordoba (approx. 1h45, £25-40 if booked ahead on Renfe). Store your bag at the station and visit the Mezquita-Catedral (book a timed ticket ~£12 via the official website or GetYourGuide) and wander the Jewish Quarter and its narrow lanes to the Synagogue and Calleja de las Flores. Late afternoon, catch a regional or AVE train on to Sevilla (approx. 45min-1h30, £12-25). Check into a hostel in the Alameda or Santa Cruz area and eat tapas in the evening.
🚌Renfe AVE Madrid-Cordoba ~£25-40; Cordoba-Sevilla train ~£12-25
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Sevilla centre (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba (timed entry)
- →Cordoba Jewish Quarter self-walk
Sevilla City Day
Sevilla
Full day to explore Sevilla independently. Join a free (tip-based) walking tour of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood, then visit the Cathedral and Giralda tower (~£11) and the Alcázar if you want more. Stroll María Luisa Park and Plaza de España, both free. In the evening, catch a flamenco show in Triana or at a small tablao (£18-30) — book via GetYourGuide or directly. Optional: a Guadalquivir river boat tour (~£15) or the Maestranza bullring tour (~£9).
🚌Walkable city — Sevilla is very compact
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Sevilla centre
- →Free walking tour of Santa Cruz
- →Sevilla Cathedral & Giralda
- →Plaza de España & María Luisa Park
- →Flamenco show
Sevilla to Granada — Alhambra
Granada
Take a morning bus (ALSA, ~3h, £12-18) or train to Granada. The Alhambra is the highlight of the whole trip — tickets sell out weeks in advance, so book the official timed entry (general ticket ~£18) the moment your dates are fixed via the Patronato de la Alhambra website. Spend the afternoon in the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife gardens. Evening: walk the Albayzín for sunset views of the Alhambra, and optionally catch a flamenco show in the Sacromonte caves (free-entry cuevas with a drink, ~£20-25).
🚌ALSA bus Sevilla-Granada ~£12-18 (3h)
🛏Hostel in Granada (Albayzín or centre, dorm £15-22/night)
- →Alhambra & Generalife (timed entry)
- →Albayzín sunset viewpoint
- →Optional Sacromonte flamenco
Granada to Valencia
Valencia
Long travel day. Take an early ALSA or Flixbus coach Granada-Valencia (approx. 5-6h, £20-30), or break it with a train via Madrid if you prefer speed. Once in Valencia, stretch your legs around the old town — Plaza de la Virgen, the Cathedral and the Mercado Central (one of Europe's largest markets, free to browse). Spend the evening in the Ruzafa neighbourhood, Valencia's best spot for cheap eats and nightlife.
🚌ALSA/Flixbus Granada-Valencia ~£20-30 (5-6h)
🛏Hostel in Valencia old town or Ruzafa (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Mercado Central
- →Plaza de la Virgen
- →Ruzafa food crawl
Valencia to Barcelona
Barcelona
Morning in Valencia to see the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences (exterior free; Oceanogràfic ~£28 if you want to go in). Afternoon train to Barcelona (Renfe Euromed ~3h, £20-35 booked ahead, or a slower regional train for less). Check into a hostel in Gràcia or El Raval and go for a wander down Las Ramblas and into the Gothic Quarter for dinner.
🚌Renfe Euromed Valencia-Barcelona ~£20-35 (3h)
🛏Hostel in Barcelona (Gràcia/El Raval, dorm £22-32/night)
- →City of Arts and Sciences (exterior)
- →Gothic Quarter evening walk
Barcelona Sightseeing
Barcelona
Full day in Barcelona. Join a free walking tour of the Gothic Quarter to cover the same ground as the coach tour's city tour, then head up Montjuïc (cable car or bus 150) for the Olympic Ring, the Miró Foundation and city views. See the Monument to Columbus at the bottom of Las Ramblas. If you have time, pre-book the Sagrada Família (~£26, sells out) and Park Güell (~£18).
🚌T-Casual metro card ~£11 for 10 rides
🛏Hostel in Barcelona
- →Free Gothic Quarter walking tour
- →Montjuïc & Olympic Ring
- →Sagrada Família (pre-book)
- →Park Güell (pre-book)
Barcelona to San Sebastian
San Sebastian
Fly or take the train north. The cheapest quick option is a budget flight Barcelona-Bilbao (Ryanair/Vueling, ~£35-60) then a Pesa bus or Euskotren to San Sebastián (£8-12). Alternatively, a long Renfe ALVIA train to San Sebastián (~6h, £30-45). Settle into a hostel in the Parte Vieja (old town) and do a pintxos crawl — pick a bar, grab a plate, keep the toothpicks as your bill. This northern Basque city is one of the best food destinations in Europe.
🚌Flight Barcelona-Bilbao ~£35-60 + bus ~£10, or Renfe ALVIA ~£30-45
🛏Hostel in San Sebastián old town (dorm £25-35/night)
- →La Concha beach
- →Pintxos crawl in Parte Vieja
San Sebastian to Bilbao to Santander
Bilbao / Santander
Bus to Bilbao (Pesa, ~1h15, £8-10) to see the Guggenheim Museum — even the exterior is worth the trip, but entry (£15-18, book online) lets you inside Gehry's masterpiece. Continue on to Santander (ALSA, ~1h30-2h, £10-15). Walk the Santander seafront to the Magdalena Peninsula palace and relax on El Sardinero beach.
🚌Pesa San Sebastián-Bilbao ~£9; ALSA Bilbao-Santander ~£12
🛏Hostel or pension in Santander (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Guggenheim Museum (optional entry)
- →Magdalena Peninsula
- →El Sardinero beach
Santander to Santillana del Mar, Covadonga and Oviedo
Santillana del Mar / Covadonga / Oviedo
Hire a day-trip option or use local buses: Santander to Santillana del Mar (£4-6, 40min) gives you one of Spain's prettiest medieval villages and the Altamira Museum (replica cave, ~£3). Then push on to Covadonga to see the Basilica and the Santa Cueva shrine in the Picos de Europa foothills, before finishing in Oviedo. Oviedo is a great, cheap Asturian city — try fabada and cider in the old town.
🚌Regional buses Santander-Santillana-Covadonga-Oviedo, £4-10 per leg
🛏Hostel or pension in Oviedo (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Santillana del Mar old town
- →Altamira Museum
- →Covadonga Basilica & shrine
Oviedo to A Coruña
A Coruña
Train or bus across Asturias into Galicia to A Coruña (FEVE/Renfe or ALSA, ~4-5h, £25-35). Once in town, walk the Paseo Marítimo, see the Roman Tower of Hercules (the world's oldest working lighthouse, ~£3) and the glass-fronted houses on Avenida de la Marina. Optional: a half-day excursion to the Rías Altas and the pretty seaside villages of Pontedeume and Betanzos via local bus.
🚌Train/bus Oviedo-A Coruña ~£25-35 (4-5h)
🛏Hostel or pension in A Coruña (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Tower of Hercules
- →Paseo Marítimo
- →Optional Rías Altas day trip
A Coruña to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Short journey south to Santiago de Compostela (bus or train ~1h, £8-12). Join a free walking tour of the old town and end at the Plaza del Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral — the finishing point of the Camino. Go inside the Cathedral (free but queue; the Portico de la Gloria and pilgrim mass are highlights). Every evening pilgrims arrive in the square — a great atmosphere to soak up. Optional: climb the cathedral roof or do the museum.
🚌Bus/train A Coruña-Santiago ~£8-12 (1h)
🛏Hostel or pension near the old town (dorm £18-25/night)
- →Free old-town walking tour
- →Santiago Cathedral & Plaza del Obradoiro
- →Pilgrim arrival at the Obradoiro
Santiago to Rías Baixas and Vigo, on to Porto
Rías Baixas / Vigo / Porto
Head south through the Rías Baixas. Vigo and O Grove are reachable by regional bus (~1-2h). In O Grove, join a catamaran tour of the mussel rafts with mussel and Albariño/Ribeiro wine tasting (~£20-30, book locally or via GetYourGuide). Optional side trip to Santa Tecla Island from Vigo for the views over the estuary. Then cross the Minho into Portugal: bus or train Vigo-Porto (~2-3h, £12-18).
🚌Regional buses in Galicia £6-12 per leg; Vigo-Porto bus/train ~£12-18
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Porto (dorm £18-25/night)
- →O Grove catamaran & mussel farm tour
- →Optional Santa Tecla Island
- →Crossing the Minho into Portugal
Porto
Porto
Full day in Porto. Walk the old town (Ribeira, São Bento station, Clérigos Tower), visit the Cathedral and the ornate Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa, ~£12) and São Francisco church (~£5). Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia and do a port lodge tour and tasting (Taylor's, Sandeman or Graham's, ~£15-25, book direct or via GetYourGuide). Optional: a Douro River boat cruise (~£15-25) or a day trip by train up the Douro valley (£10-20 return).
🚌Walkable/porto metro single ~£2
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Porto
- →Porto Cathedral & Clérigos
- →Palácio da Bolsa
- →Port lodge tour & tasting in Gaia
- →Optional Douro cruise
Porto to Salamanca to Madrid
Salamanca / Madrid
Take a direct ALSA coach or train Porto to Salamanca (~4-5h, £25-35), stop for a few hours to wander the Plaza Mayor and the golden sandstone old town and, if there's time, the historic university. Then take the bus/train on to Madrid (~2.5-3h, £15-25) to finish. Madrid is a good place to book a final night's hostel and eat a farewell menu del día.
🚌ALSA/Renfe Porto-Salamanca ~£25-35; Salamanca-Madrid bus ~£15-25
🛏Hostel in Madrid (dorm £20-30/night) if staying on
- →Salamanca Plaza Mayor
- →Salamanca old town stroll
Self-launched vs. Click Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Click Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£880 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £870 per person (50%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Click Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£880
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Discovery of Spain & North Portugal — 14 Days (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £880 per person for 14 days in Spain & North Portugal. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Click Tours?+
Yes — Click Tours charges around £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £880 — a saving of roughly £870 (50%) per person.
How long is the Spain & North Portugal trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Spain & North Portugal.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Spain & North Portugal, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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