Amazing Spain & Portugal — Self-Launched
9 days · Spain & Portugal
Insight Vacations charges £2,020
No-markup version: ~£795 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Insight Vacations' 9-day coach tour from Madrid through Toledo, Granada, Seville, Évora, Lisbon, Fátima, Salamanca and Ávila. Instead of a 40-person coach and 5-star hotels, you'll use Spain and Portugal's excellent high-speed trains and regional buses, stay in central hostels and budget guesthouses, and book the big-ticket sights (Alhambra, Seville Cathedral, Alcázar) directly online. Roughly 60% cheaper than the advertised tour price, with the freedom to linger in Salamanca or skip Fátima entirely. All costs are approximate per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Madrid — Old Quarter on foot
Madrid
Land and check into a hostel in the Sol/La Latina area, walking distance from the Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. The coach tour starts with a hosted dinner; you can do the same for a fraction of the cost by joining a free walking tour of Old Madrid (tips only, ~£5) and then eating your way round La Latina's tapas bars — the Mercado de San Miguel and the streets around Calle Cava Baja are the classic route. Book a 'menú del día' or a few pinchos rather than a tourist-set dinner.
🚌Airport Express bus from Barajas to Cibeles, ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or private twin in Sol/La Latina (~£22/night)
- →Free walking tour of Habsburg Madrid (tip-based)
- →Tapas crawl in La Latina
- →Plaza Mayor and Royal Palace exterior at dusk
Toledo day trip, then overnight train/bus to Granada
Toledo → Granada
Take the Avant train from Madrid Atocha to Toledo (about 33 mins, ~£10 each way). Walk the old city yourself: the Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, and a quick visit to the Church of Santo Tomé for El Greco's 'The Burial of the Count of Orgaz' (€4). The coach tour visits a Damascene (gold-inlay steel) workshop — you can drop into any of the family workshops in the Zocodover area for free. In the late afternoon return to Madrid and take the evening ALSA bus to Granada (~5 hours, ~£18) or an earlier train to Antequera and local bus on. Arrive Granada late and check into a guesthouse in the Realejo or Albaicín.
🚌Madrid–Toledo Avant train ~£20 return; Madrid–Granada night bus ~£18
🛏Guesthouse in Realejo, Granada (~£20/night)
- →Church of Santo Tomé & El Greco painting (€4)
- →Toledo Cathedral & Jewish Quarter self-guided walk
- →Damascene craft workshop visit (free)
The Alhambra, then on to Seville
Granada → Seville
The Alhambra is the one thing you must book well in advance — tickets release around 3 months before and sell out (€19.09 for the general daytime ticket, including the Nasrid Palaces and Generalife). Book directly on the official Alhambra website or via GetYourGuide if you want a guided entry (from ~£30). Allow 3–4 hours. Spend the rest of the day in the Albaicín with a view from San Nicolás, then take the late afternoon train or bus to Seville (train ~3 hours from ~£25 if booked early; ALSA bus ~3.5 hours, ~£15).
🚌Granada–Seville train from ~£25 (or bus ~£15)
🛏Hostel in Santa Cruz or Triana, Seville (~£24/night)
- →Alhambra & Generalife (€19 / ~£18)
- →Albaicín & Mirador San Nicolás walk
- →Optional flamenco at a Peña in Granada
Seville — cathedral, Alcázar and flamenco
Seville
Do the Santa Cruz Quarter on a free walking tour or just wander it — it's tiny and beautiful. Book Seville Cathedral + Giralda online (€12) and the Real Alcázar (€14.50, or €20 with the upper royal apartments); both can be reserved on their official sites. The coach tour includes a flamenco lesson at the Cristina Heeren Foundation — you can book a beginner group flamenco class in Triana (from ~£18) or skip straight to a show at Casa de la Memoria or La Carbonería (€18–25). Note the original afternoon visit to Pilatos Palace as your alternative if the Alcázar is full.
🚌All on foot
🛏Same Seville hostel
- →Seville Cathedral & Giralda (€12)
- →Real Alcázar (€14.50)
- →Flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria (~£20)
Bus to Évora, Portugal — chapel of bones and on to Lisbon
Évora → Lisbon
Cross the border overland. Take the ALSA/Eurolines bus Seville–Évora (~4 hours, ~£20) or the train to Faro and onward bus if you prefer to break the journey. Évora is a compact walled UNESCO town — the Roman temple, cathedral and the Capela dos Ossos (Bone Chapel, €6) are all within a 15-minute walk. Lock your bag at the bus station and spend 3–4 hours there, then take the Rede Expressos bus Évora–Lisbon (~1h45, ~£10). Check into a hostel in Alfama or Baixa-Chiado.
🚌Seville–Évora bus ~£20; Évora–Lisbon bus ~£10
🛏Hostel in Alfama/Baixa, Lisbon (~£24/night)
- →Capela dos Ossos, Évora (€6)
- →Évora Roman temple & cathedral square
- →Sunset at Miradouro das Portas do Sol, Lisbon
Lisbon — Belém, pastéis and the coach museum
Lisbon
Take tram 15E or the train from Cais do Sodré to Belém (~€1.55 with a Viva Viagem card). Walk the Belém waterfront: Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries from outside (free), the Jerónimos Monastery (€12) if you want to go in, and the National Coach Museum (€8) which the coach tour covers. Queue at Pastéis de Belém for the original custard tart (€1.50) — the coach tour's tasting without the coach. Afternoon: free walking tour of Alfama or a cheap ferry across the Tejo to Cacilhas for grilled fish. If you want the Portuguese Riviera, take the train to Sintra (~£2, 40 mins) instead of a paid excursion.
🚌Lisbon day transport card ~£7
🛏Same Lisbon hostel
- →Belém Tower & Monument to the Discoveries
- →Pastéis de Belém (€1.50)
- →National Coach Museum (€8)
- →Tram 28 or Alfama walking tour
Fátima or Óbidos, then Salamanca
Fátima/Óbidos → Salamanca
This is the day where self-launching pays off — reviewers on the original tour repeatedly said Fátima ate a full day they'd rather have spent in Salamanca. Choose: (a) the direct Rede Expressos/Flixbus Fatima bus from Lisbon Sete Rios (~1h40, ~£9) to see the Sanctuary, Basilica and Chapel of the Apparitions; or (b) the prettier option of Óbidos, the walled medieval town, by bus from Lisbon Campo Grande (~1h, ~£7). From either, continue by bus to Salamanca (Fátima–Salamanca via Coimbra/Guarda or a Flixbus connection, ~£20–25, 5–6 hours) or take the faster route — Lisbon to Salamanca by bus/coach is ~7 hours; booking a Flixbus or Alsa service the night before keeps it cheap. Arrive Salamanca and stay in the old town near Plaza Mayor.
🚌Lisbon–Fátima/Óbidos bus ~£9; Fátima/Óbidos–Salamanca coach ~£22
🛏Guesthouse near Plaza Mayor, Salamanca (~£26/night)
- →Sanctuary of Fátima (free) or Óbidos town walls (free)
- →Plaza Mayor, Salamanca at night
- →Optional tapas dinner in Salamanca
Salamanca morning, Ávila walls, back to Madrid
Salamanca → Ávila → Madrid
Use the morning properly — the coach tour left at 8.30am before the cathedrals opened, so you can do better. Visit the Old and New Cathedrals (combined ~€10) and climb the Ieronimus tower walkway for the rooftop view, then the University and the shell-shaped Casa de las Conchas. Take the regional train Salamanca–Ávila (~1h30, ~£8); at Ávila walk the 11th-century walls (€5) and the cathedral. Then continue by regional train or Avant to Madrid (~1h20, ~£9) and finish with a cheap late dinner in La Latina or Malasaña.
🚌Salamanca–Ávila ~£8; Ávila–Madrid ~£9
🛏Hostel in Sol/Malasaña, Madrid (~£24/night)
- →Salamanca cathedrals & Ieronimus tower (~£9)
- →Ávila city walls (€5)
- →Evening in central Madrid
Madrid — Retiro, museums and departure
Madrid
Last day, done your way. The Prado is free for the last two hours each evening (or ~£13 anytime); the Reina Sofía (home of Guernica) is free in the evenings too. Otherwise do a morning loop of Retiro Park, the Prado neighbourhood and the Mercado de San Antón for lunch before the Airport Express bus back to Barajas (~£5).
🚌Airport Express bus ~£5
🛏—
- →Prado Museum (~£13, free late evening)
- →Retiro Park walk
- →Mercado lunch in Chueca
Self-launched vs. Insight Vacations
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Insight Vacations | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£795 | £2,020 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,225 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Insight Vacations-style trips? Check them out here.~£795
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 Amazing Spain & Portugal — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £795 per person for 9 days in Spain & 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 Insight Vacations?+
Yes — Insight Vacations charges around £2,020 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £795 — a saving of roughly £1,225 (61%) per person.
How long is the Spain & Portugal trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Spain & 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 & 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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