OUR STORY IBERIA
March 29–April 6 | Portugal Only
April 5–April 14 | Spain & Gibraltar Only
March 29–April 14 | Full Itinerary
SIGN UP EARLY AND SAVE
Sign up at least five months in advance to lock in your spot and receive a $100/person early registration savings. All payments are fully refundable up to four months in advance, so your savings are commitment-free.
Travel with us to the Iberian Peninsula to explore the story of Our People – their Golden Age achievements, their Inquisition sorrows, and their promising revival today – on this moving Jewish and world heritage travel experience for all.
Our Story Iberia spans up to 17 days of expertly guided touring – covering Portugal (Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto & Belmonte), Spain (Toledo, Granada, Córdoba, Malaga & Seville) and Gibraltar. However, travelers can choose to tour Portugal only, Spain& Gibraltar only, or experience the full itinerary.
As a world heritage travel experience, you'll have the opportunity to view the art of Picasso, explore the castles of Sintra, taste authentic port wine, tour the majestic Alhambra Palace, ascend the Rock of Gibraltar, luxuriate at a traditional hammam, sample Manchego cheese, and contemplate Don Quixote’s windmill inspirations.
As a Jewish experience, we'll celebrate the ideas of Golden Age Iberian Jewish leaders like Maimonedies and Ibn Gvirol, discover the origins of Sephardic culture, confront the scale of loss caused by the Inquisition, and celebrate a memorable Shabbat in Porto and Gibraltar.
Our Story Spain is thoughtfully led by a professional Jewish educator and local European guides. Groups are limited to 28 adult travelers for your comfort.
the DAY 1 | MONDAY | MARCH 29, 2027
GETTING ORIENTED IN LISBON
NOTE: Those arriving on Sunday evening can be accommodated at the Lisbon hotel based on our group rates. Contact us to learn more.
- Arrive to Lisbon's Portela Airport and transfer to our hotel in the heart of the city
- Group Meeting #1 at 10:00am
-
- Discover Lisbon's "Age of Discovery" legacy at the iconic Tower of Belém, a UNESCO World Heritage fortress that once guarded the entrance to Lisbon's harbor
- Explore the historic Baixa district and learn about Lisbon's Jewish community during the Inquisition, including a visit to the 1506 Easter Massacre Memorial
- Break for lunch at Timeout Market, sampling Portuguese delicacies from local vendors
- Spend the rest of the afternoon wandering through the atmospheric Alfama neighborhood, Lisbon's oldest district, with winding medieval streets and stunning Tagus River views
-
- Group Meeting #2 at 5:00pm
- Welcome dinner accompanied by an authentic Fado performance, Portugal's hauntingly beautiful traditional folk musical
OVERNIGHT: LISBON, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Dinner
DAY 2 | TUESDAY | MARCH 30, 2027
SINTRA'S FAIRY TALE BEAUTY
- Journey to Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we will embark on a nature walk to the Moorish Castle with commanding views of the region
- Explore the mystical Quinta da Regaleira estate, featuring symbolic gardens, underground grottoes, and the famous Initiation Well
- Evening: Experience Portuguese-Jewish community life with dinner at the Maccabi country club, meeting local Lisbon community members
OVERNIGHT: LISBON, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 3 | WEDNESDAY | MARCH 31, 2027
ALONG PORTUGAL'S ATLANTIC COAST
- Depart Lisbon and travel north along Portugal's stunning Atlantic coast
- Stop in the medieval walled town of Óbidos for a tasting of ginja, the famous Portuguese cherry liqueur traditionally served in chocolate cups
- Continue to Nazaré, a traditional fishing village perched on dramatic cliffs, known for having among the largest ocean waves found on Earth
- Continue north, breaking along the way to visit the historic Synagogue of Tomar, one of Portugal's best-preserved medieval synagogues
- Discover the story of Tomar's Abraham Zacuto, the renowned Jewish astronomer and mathematician whose astronomical tables aided Portuguese navigation during the Age of Discovery
- Continue to Coimbra, Portugal's medieval capital – check in and dinner at our hotel
OVERNIGHT: COIMBRA, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 4 | THURSDAY | APRIL 1, 2027
TREASURES OF MEDIEVAL COIMBRA
- Morning: Explore the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the world – including a visit to the ornate Baroque Joanina Library and the University's Botanical Gardens
- Depart Coimbra following lunch and travel to Porto
- Stop en route for a port wine tasting at a traditional quinta, learning about the centuries-old production methods
- Get oriented to Portugal's second-largest city on a cruise along the Douro River, followed by a free evening and dinner on your own
OVERNIGHT: PORTO, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 5 | FRIDAY | APRIL 2, 2027
WANDERING PORTO
- Morning: Tour the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue, the largest operating synagogue on the Iberian Peninsula, including a visit to the adjacent Porto Holocaust Museum
- Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Porto – walk through the colorful Ribeira district, admire the historic azulejos tiles of Sao Bento Train Station, and browse the enchanting Livraria Lello bookstore, rumored to have inspired J.K. Rowling
- Evening: Option to attend Kabbalat Shabbat services followed by a traditional Shabbat dinner in Porto
OVERNIGHT: PORTO, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 6 | SATURDAY | APRIL 3, 2027
INTO THE HIGHLANDS OF PORTUGAL
- Travel east into Portugal's mountainous interior region
- Stop in the medieval fortified village of Trancoso, once home to a thriving Jewish community
- Visit a traditional olive oil farm to learn about production methods dating back centuries and sample local varieties
- Arrive in Belmonte, one of Portugal's most significant Jewish heritage sites, home to descendants of crypto-Jews who secretly maintained Jewish practices for over 500 years after the Inquisition
- Check in to our accommodations and enjoy dinner on your own in Belmonte
OVERNIGHT: BELMONTE, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 7 | SUNDAY | APRIL 4, 2027
BELMONTE'S CRYPTO-JEWISH HERITAGE
- Morning nature walk in Serra da Estrela Natural Park, Portugal's highest mountain range, with stunning vistas and glacial valleys
- Return to Belmonte for a tour Belmonte Synagogue & Museum
- Meet members of Belmonte's Jewish community to hear firsthand accounts of their families' crypto-Jewish history and the remarkable revival of open Jewish practice in recent decades
- Evening: Sample the high altitude wines of Quinta dos Termos Winery and enjoy a farm-fresh dinner at the estate
OVERNIGHT: BELMONTE, PORTUGAL
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 8 | MONDAY | APRIL 5, 2027
CROSSING INTO SPAIN
- Depart Belmonte and travel across the border into Spain
- Break along the way in Salamanca to explore the town's Renaissance-era design and ancient Roman-era bridge
- Arrive in Madrid in the afternoon and check in to our centrally located hotel
"Spain Only" travelers join the group here and are encouraged to land by 1:00pm today - Late afternoon walking tour of Madrid followed by a group dinner at a local restaurant (kosher)
OVERNIGHT: MADRID, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
NOTE: Travelers may choose a "Portugal Only" tour that ends on the morning of Day 9 after breakfast. Travelers opting for the "Spain Only" join the group in Madrid on the afternoon of Day 8.
DAY 9 | TUESDAY | APRIL 6, 2027
GOLDEN AGE OF SEPHARDIC SPAIN IN TOLEDO
- This morning we embark on a full-day tour of Toledo, the walled city known as the "City of Three Cultures" – a place where Christians, Muslims, and Jews coexisted during the Middle Ages
- Get oriented to Toledo, taking in the panoramic views from Mirador del Valle
- Enter the city walls and tour the Alcázar de Toledo, towering above the old city
- Break for lunch on your own, sampling traditional Toledan marzipan and local cuisine
- Visit the El Tránsito Synagogue, a stunning 14th-century mudéjar masterpiece, and enter the Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, showcasing the unique architectural fusion of Islamic and Jewish artistic traditions
- Spend the rest of the afternoon walking through the narrow streets of the historic Judería (Jewish Quarter) where scholars like Yehudah Halevi once lived and studied
- Return to Madrid for a free evening with dinner on your own
OVERNIGHT: MADRID, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 10 | WEDNESDAY | APRIL 7, 2027
LEGENDS OF LA MANCHA
- Depart Madrid and journey south toward Granada through the plains of La Mancha
- Stop to view the iconic Don Quixote windmills immortalized in Cervantes' masterpiece and tour the nearby Consuegra Castle
- Visit a traditional Manchego cheese farm to learn about the production process and sample this famous Spanish delicacy
- Continue south into the changing landscapes of Spain's Andalusia region
- Arrive in Granada – View Alhambra with the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albayzin neighborhood
- Free evening to explore Granada's atmospheric streets and tapas culture
OVERNIGHT: GRANADA, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 11 | THURSDAY | APRIL 8, 2027
ALHAMBRA PALACE AND ITS FATEFUL DECREE
- Morning: Tour of the breathtaking Alhambra Palace complex – the pinnacle of Islamic architecture in Europe – and the place where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the Alhambra Decree initiating the Spanish Inquisition
- Continue on to explore the lush Generalife Gardens that adjoin Alhambra
- Break for lunch on your own in the Mercado San Agustin
- Afternoon: Explore the Sacromonte neighborhood, historically home to Granada's Gitano (Romani) community and the birthplace of cave flamenco
- Evening: Experience an authentic flamenco performance in the historic cave dwellings of Sacromonte, witnessing the passionate dance that emerged from the fusion of Romani, Moorish, and Andalusian traditions – with dinner included
OVERNIGHT: GRANADA, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 12 | FRIDAY | APRIL 9, 2027
MÁLAGA AND COSTA DEL SOL
- Depart Granada and travel to the coastal city of Málaga
- Visit sites connected to Ibn Gvirol, the renowned 11th-century Jewish poet and philosopher who was born in Málaga
- Tour the Picasso Museum, celebrating Málaga's most famous native son
- Free time to grab lunch along Malaga's Costa del Sol beachfront
- Continue along the coast to Gibraltar, the British territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula
- Evening: Option to attend Kabbalat Shabbat services with the Jewish community of Gibraltar, one of the oldest continuous Jewish settlements in the world, and a key element of Gibraltar's contemporary social fabric
- Shabbat dinner with the Gibraltar Jewish community
OVERNIGHT: GIBRALTAR
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 13 | SATURDAY | APRIL 10
THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
- Free morning to attend local Shabbat services or explore the Gibraltar Botanical Gardens
- A group Shabbat lunch is included
- Afternoon: Explore the Rock of Gibraltar, ascending by cable car for spectacular views across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa
- Experience the only wild monkey population in Europe at Apes Den
- Visit the Great Siege Tunnels and learn about Gibraltar's strategic military history, including its role as a haven for evacuees during WWII
- Return to sea level and explore the traditionally British-style charm of Old Town Gibraltar
- Free evening and dinner on your own in Old Town
OVERNIGHT: GIBRALTAR
Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch
DAY 14 | SUNDAY | APRIL 11, 2027
HIGHLAND TOWNS OF RONDA AND LUCENA
- Depart Gibraltar and ascend into the highlands of Andalusia, famous for its stunning pueblos blancos (white-washed villages)
- Stop in Ronda, the dramatic hilltop town straddling a deep gorge, with its famous 18th-century bridge spanning the chasm
- Continue to Lucena, historically known as the "Pearl of Sepharad," once home to a flourishing Jewish community and renowned Talmudic academy
- Visit a local winery for a tour and tasting of Andalusian wines
- Arrive in Cordoba and check into our hotel in the old town area
- Evening: Luxuriate in a traditional Arab hammam (bathhouse), relaxing in the thermal baths that echo the sophisticated bathing culture of medieval Al-Andalus
OVERNIGHT: CÓRDOBA, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast
DAY 15 | MONDAY | APRIL 12, 2027
SEVILLE – ANDALUSIA'S TRADITIONAL CAPITAL
- Day trip to Seville, the vibrant capital of Andalusia
- Explore the historic Santa Cruz neighborhood, once the heart of Seville's medieval Judería
- Break for lunch on your own at Mercado de Triana, a market that was once the local headquarters of the Inquisition
Visit the Seville Cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, and home to the Tomb of Christopher Columbus - Explore Spain's bullfighting traditions on a tour of Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza
- Return to Cordoba and sample traditional Sephardic cuisine at Casa Mazal Restaurant
NIGHT: CÓRDOBA, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 16 | TUESDAY | APRIL 13, 2027
TREASURES OF CÓRDOBA
- Walk in the footsteps of Cordoba's Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides or Rambam), perhaps the most famous and prolific Jewish thinker, astronomer, philosopher, and physician
- Visit the Synagogue of Córdoba, one of only three medieval synagogues remaining in Spain, and explore the Casa de Sefarad Museum
- Enter the magnificent Mezquita, once the Great Mosque of Córdoba, an architectural marvel featuring a forest of columns and the later Christian cathedral inserted within
- Venture just outside Cordoba for a visit to Medina Azahara, the archaeological site of a 10th-century palace-city built by the Caliph
- Depart from Córdoba in the afternoon and return to Madrid
- Evening: Wrap up conversation and closing dinner celebration in Madrid
OVERNIGHT: MADRID, SPAIN
Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 17 | WEDNESDAY | APRIL 14, 2027
HASTA LUEGO!
Say your farewells to Iberia and our traveling community following breakfast at the hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- A professional guide/educator leads the group on a 24/7 basis and expert city guides join our group most days
- Centrally located 4* and 5* hotels with porterage included
- Breakfast daily and additional meals per the itinerary
- Private touring vehicle with AC
- All programming and site entrances per the itinerary
- Wireless touring headsets
For groups with 20+ travelers
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Flights to/from Europe
- Airport transfers
- Travel insurance (optional)
Insure your investment, and plan ahead for the unexpected travel insurance - Gratuities (suggested $100-$200/traveler)
- Hotel incidentals and meals not marked as included
TRAVELING TO EUROPE
Travelers are responsible for booking their own round-trip flights and airport transfers at the start and end of their tour. Taxis and Uber rides are widely available at our starting and ending point airports.
Travelers are encouraged to arrive the evening before to better acclimate and take advantage of the full program offerings. Group hotel rates are available for early arrivals, subject to availability (contact us to learn more).
The program concludes following breakfast on the chosen end date, and onward travel may be booked anytime in the morning and beyond – standard hotel checkout is at 11:00am.
TRIP COSTS
Sign up at least five months in advance to lock in your spot and receive a $100/person savings. All payments are fully refundable up to four months in advance, so your savings come commitment-free.
ENROLLMENT TERMS
- A $250/person fully refundable deposit is due at the time of your registration.
- The deposit is non-refundable four months prior to the program start date.
- The balance is due no later than two months prior to the program start date after which all payments are non-refundable and exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis at Authentic Israel's discretion.
- Cancellations must be made in writing, and we encourage you to obtain a travel insurance policy.
- Payments may be made by check or credit/debit card, however, a 3.50% processing fee applies for credit/debit card payments (does not apply to initial $250 deposit). Note: credit card fees are not refundable
- The program is subject to a minimum participation of 15 travelers registered at least four months prior to the program start date, and we ask that you not reserve non-refundable flights until the tour. Within four months of the program start date, Authentic Israel reserves the right to cancel trip dates in extraordinary circumstances.
- Authentic Israel reserves the right to deny acceptance on the tour according to its sole discretion.
- All program costs are listed in US Dollars.
FAQs
TRAVEL BEYOND THE EXPECTED
The power of inspiring Jewish travel extends beyond the boundaries of our name. Discover a world of Jewish and world heritage travel opportunities in Europe and Morocco.
Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey of remembrance and renewal on this Adult Delegation in Poland with the option to continue on to Israel
Discover a wealth of Europe’s Jewish history and world heritage sites on this guided tour spanning Poland, Budapest, Vienna, Prague & Berlin
Explore the Sephardic traditions and world treasures of the Iberian Peninsula on this tour of Portugal, Spain, and Gibraltar
Explore Sephardic traditions while touring the colorful markets, architecture, and culture of Marrakesh, Fes, Rabat & Casablanca
A once-in-a-lifetime tour of Rome, Florence, Bologna, Venice, and Milan – highlighting the story of a singular Jewish community