Lisbon, Seville & Madrid
🔹 Curated experiences: Every program is intentionally designed to feature guided learning, cultural engagement, and independent exploration experiences to drive global competency development, denoted on each itinerary with a blue diamond. Learn more about these experiences.
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Portugal
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Day 2: Lisbon
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of the age-old Islamic Alfama district of Lisbon, which includes includes 16th century aristocratic palaces and churches
Enjoy dinner in Lisbon
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Day 3: Lisbon
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Lisbon
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Tower of Belém
- Monument to the Discoveries
Visit the Jerónimos Monastery, a monastery built by King Manuel to honor the country’s great voyagers
Add this in-depth excursion:Sintra and Cascais
Enjoy a half-day excursion to the hillside town of Sintra, referred to by Lord Byron as “glorious Eden”. Here, you’ll visit the National Palace of Sintra, whose two conical chimneys reign as the town’s most recognizable landmarks. Continue to the charming beach town of Cascais. Due to Portugal’s neutrality in World War II, Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe, including those of Spain, Italy and Bulgaria.
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Day 4: Lisbon • Seville
Travel via Évora, a Roman town lined with whitewashed houses and colorful azulejos, on your way to Seville
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Évora, a walled town that is home to the Praca de Giraldo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the Chapel of Bones, a 16th century place of worship decorated with bones and skulls
Take a walking tour of Seville
With your Field Director you will see:
- Giralda Tower, part of the Great Mosque of Seville and transformed with Renaissance stylings by the Catholic Church
- Torre de Oro, an Islamic watchtower
- Plaza de Toros de Maestranza, Seville's famous bullring
Enjoy dinner in Seville
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Day 5: Seville
Visit Seville Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world that took more than a century to build
Visit the Seville Alcázar, an architectural wonder originally founded as a fort for the governors of Seville in 913
Take a tour of Seville
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Barrio de Santa Cruz's narrow, twisting alleys
- Maria Luisa Park, and its mosaics and fountains of Plaza de España
- Plaza de Toros to learn about the tradition of Spanish bullfighting
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Seville on your own
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Day 6: Seville • Madrid
Travel by the high speed, energy efficient AVE train to Madrid
Take a walking tour of Madrid, Spain’s capital and largest city
Visit the Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
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Day 7: Madrid
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Take a guided tour of Madrid
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s busiest squares
- Plaza Mayor, the center of old Madrid where you’ll learn about the grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings, and public executions
- Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace square, located across from the Royal Palace
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
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Day 8: Madrid
Add this in-depth excursion:Toledo
This half-day excursion will take you to the former Spanish capital of Toledo. Known as the “city of the three cultures,” this was a place of peaceful coexistence of, Jews, Christians and Muslims. Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. Enjoy a panoramic drive around the city and visit the cathedral that dominates Toledo’s skyline. Then continue on to the Church of Santo Tomé where you’ll view The Burial of Count Orgaz, one of El Greco’s most famous works. Step inside one of Toledo's synagogues and finish off your excursion with a stop at a local sword-making workshop.
Enjoy a tapas dinner in Madrid, consisting of many small plates of local culinary favorites
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Day 9: Depart for home
Add more days
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Day 9: Madrid • Barcelona
Travel by AVE train to Barcelona
Take a walking tour of Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall where you’ll find endless entertainment, restaurants, markets, monuments and shopping
Enjoy dinner in Barcelona
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Day 10: Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona
With your expert local guide you will see:
- La Sagrada FamĂlia, GaudĂ’s masterpiece cathedral that is over 130 years in the making
- From the top of MontjuĂŻc, enjoy panoramic views of the harbor below
- Gothic Quarter, a memory of the Roman Empire, now lined with shops and restaurants
- Barcelona Cathedral, a Gothic Revival church known for its gargoyles and other mythical animals
Visit Park GĂĽell, a vast public park designed by Antoni GaudĂ that features colorful mosaics and remarkable architecture
Add this in-depth excursion:Barcelona by bike
Feel the warm Mediterranean air breeze by as you explore Barcelona on a guided bicycle tour. This bicycle-friendly city has more than 75 miles of lanes for cyclists, providing a safe, fun and fast way to gain a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s richly diverse streets and neighborhoods. Stop along the way to learn historical details about the city’s famous sites before pedaling on to your next destination.
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Day 11: Depart for home
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Day 1: Fly overnight to Portugal
-
Day 2: Lisbon
Meet your Field Director at the airportTake a walking tour of the age-old Islamic Alfama district of Lisbon, which includes includes 16th century aristocratic palaces and churches
Enjoy dinner in Lisbon
-
Day 3: Lisbon
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Lisbon
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Tower of Belém
- Monument to the Discoveries
Visit the Jerónimos Monastery, a monastery built by King Manuel to honor the country’s great voyagers
Add this in-depth excursion:Sintra and Cascais
Enjoy a half-day excursion to the hillside town of Sintra, referred to by Lord Byron as “glorious Eden”. Here, you’ll visit the National Palace of Sintra, whose two conical chimneys reign as the town’s most recognizable landmarks. Continue to the charming beach town of Cascais. Due to Portugal’s neutrality in World War II, Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe, including those of Spain, Italy and Bulgaria.
-
Day 4: Lisbon • Seville
Travel via Évora, a Roman town lined with whitewashed houses and colorful azulejos, on your way to Seville
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of Évora, a walled town that is home to the Praca de Giraldo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Visit the Chapel of Bones, a 16th century place of worship decorated with bones and skulls
Take a walking tour of Seville
With your Field Director you will see:
- Giralda Tower, part of the Great Mosque of Seville and transformed with Renaissance stylings by the Catholic Church
- Torre de Oro, an Islamic watchtower
- Plaza de Toros de Maestranza, Seville's famous bullring
Enjoy dinner in Seville
-
Day 5: Seville
Visit Seville Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world that took more than a century to build
Visit the Seville Alcázar, an architectural wonder originally founded as a fort for the governors of Seville in 913
Take a tour of Seville
With an expert local guide you will see:
- Barrio de Santa Cruz's narrow, twisting alleys
- Maria Luisa Park, and its mosaics and fountains of Plaza de España
- Plaza de Toros to learn about the tradition of Spanish bullfighting
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Seville on your own
-
Day 6: Seville • Madrid
Travel by the high speed, energy efficient AVE train to Madrid
Take a walking tour of Madrid, Spain’s capital and largest city
Visit the Prado, Madrid's famed art museum where you can behold Velázquez’s Las Meninas and Goya’s paired canvases
-
Day 7: Madrid
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Madrid on your own
Take a guided tour of Madrid
With your expert local guide you will see:
- Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s busiest squares
- Plaza Mayor, the center of old Madrid where you’ll learn about the grand square’s history of bullfights, royal weddings, and public executions
- Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace square, located across from the Royal Palace
Visit the Royal Palace and get a glimpse of regal Madrid, where you’ll wander the fabulous palace interior
-
Day 8: Madrid
Add this in-depth excursion:Toledo
This half-day excursion will take you to the former Spanish capital of Toledo. Known as the “city of the three cultures,” this was a place of peaceful coexistence of, Jews, Christians and Muslims. Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. Enjoy a panoramic drive around the city and visit the cathedral that dominates Toledo’s skyline. Then continue on to the Church of Santo Tomé where you’ll view The Burial of Count Orgaz, one of El Greco’s most famous works. Step inside one of Toledo's synagogues and finish off your excursion with a stop at a local sword-making workshop.
Enjoy a tapas dinner in Madrid, consisting of many small plates of local culinary favorites
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Day 9: Depart for home
Add more days
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Day 9: Madrid • Barcelona
Travel by AVE train to Barcelona
Take a walking tour of Las Ramblas, a pedestrian mall where you’ll find endless entertainment, restaurants, markets, monuments and shopping
Enjoy dinner in Barcelona
-
Day 10: Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona
With your expert local guide you will see:
- La Sagrada FamĂlia, GaudĂ’s masterpiece cathedral that is over 130 years in the making
- From the top of MontjuĂŻc, enjoy panoramic views of the harbor below
- Gothic Quarter, a memory of the Roman Empire, now lined with shops and restaurants
- Barcelona Cathedral, a Gothic Revival church known for its gargoyles and other mythical animals
Visit Park GĂĽell, a vast public park designed by Antoni GaudĂ that features colorful mosaics and remarkable architecture
Add this in-depth excursion:Barcelona by bike
Feel the warm Mediterranean air breeze by as you explore Barcelona on a guided bicycle tour. This bicycle-friendly city has more than 75 miles of lanes for cyclists, providing a safe, fun and fast way to gain a deeper understanding of Barcelona’s richly diverse streets and neighborhoods. Stop along the way to learn historical details about the city’s famous sites before pedaling on to your next destination.
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Day 11: Depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
What's Included
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Transportation
Various modes of transport are tailored to your program. While some transfers are included, others may come at additional cost.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable lodging will be waiting for you at your destination.
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Select meals
Enjoy a combination of included meals and the freedom to explore local cuisine on your own.
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End-to-end support
Your dedicated EF team helps secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides enrollment tools, and helps establish your program’s ongoing presence on campus.
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EF Global Learning Toolkit
We offer various tools to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.
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Guided exploration
Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides: natural historians who provide cultural insights to enhance learning moments throughout the program.
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Field Visits
Experience academics in action during engaging visits with relevant organizations, thought leaders, and partners.