Soccer Tour: Barcelona, Madrid & Lisbon

Football stadium in  Barcelona, Spain

What to expect on this itinerary

Iberia’s legendary cities are home to the world’s most iconic soccer teams, and this 10-day sample itinerary celebrates them all. Feel the atmosphere, embrace the passion, celebrate the skill, and savor the tension that only European soccer can create. This handcrafted tour includes three live fixtures and a chance to play against the locals, as you journey through Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon. Soccer isn’t just a game. It’s a way of life here, as well as a platform for exploring more of these stunning destinations.

Countries Visited

Portugal, Spain

Places Visited

Barcelona, Lisbon, Alfama, Madrid

Suggested Duration

10 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Barcelona – An Introduction to a Lively City

When you land in Barcelona, you’ll immediately sense the local pride. Catalan flags flutter from balconies, a unique language perforates the air, and the architecture is distinctly local. After you are escorted from the airport to your hotel, a guide will take you on a walking tour, first through the vintage relics of Barrio Gothic and then out into the district of Eixample, where the early works of Gaudi dominate the boulevards. This is a lively city and this introductory tour is a celebration of highlights, which leads you to the spire of La Sagrada Familia and onwards through boutiques and beautiful pedestrianized quarters. As the sun fades there’s a vibrancy to the streets, people milling on the plazas, and drinks being shared at the terraces. The football will start tomorrow but you’ll see the colors of FC Barcelona everywhere, including at the bars and cafes you visit.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Tour
Day 2

Barcelona – Messi and Co: Watching Barcelona at the Camp Nou

Day 3

Barcelona – Intimate Camp Nou Stadium Tour and Playing With the Locals

Day 4

Lisbon – Discovering the Portuguese Capital

Day 5

Lisbon – A Raucous Atmosphere: Watching Benfica in the Champions League

Day 6

Lisbon – The Most Famous Team in Portugal: A Tour of Estadio Jose Alvalade and Sporting CP

Day 7

Madrid – Discovering the Spanish Capital, Including Playing in a Local Soccer Match

Day 8

Madrid – Home of the Galacticos: Watching Real Madrid at the Bernabeu

Day 9

Madrid – Stadium Tour and Savoring the Tapas

Day 10

Madrid – Departure

Trip Highlights

  • Watch the legends at the Bernabeu with tickets for a Real Madrid La Liga fixture
  • Go behind the scenes at the stadiums, with intimate tours of the Camp Nou, Estadio Jose Alvalade and Real Madrid’s Bernabeu
  • Embrace the raucous atmosphere of a Champions League match, as the Portuguese capital of Lisbon is a great place to feel the energy of the competition where you’ll watch national champions Benfica take on another European team
  • Explore the beauty of three fabulous cities including Barcelona, Lisbon, and Madrid
  • Be entertained in Europe’s largest soccer stadium while you admire Messi and Co at a FC Barcelona match
  • Explore the ambience that surrounds the sport, from tapas taverns to chants in city neighborhoods
  • Play with the locals in Barcelona and Madrid, joining informal meet ups and testing your skills against a wide range of opponents

Detailed Description

Note that all soccer itineraries are dependent on the dates of fixtures, and costs of game tickets will vary wildly. This itinerary coincided with the past group stages of the Champions League to create the rare opportunity to experience three live matches – two Spanish La Liga fixtures and a midweek Champions League match. This itinerary will be customized to your exact dates and may operate in a different direction dependent on matches. The Spanish and Portuguese football seasons run from September to May, with teams playing on most weekends – there are sporadic one-week international breaks along with a winter break on the weeks either side of Christmas. The optimal time to visit is during the Champions League, with six match days (Tuesday and Wednesday fixtures) from mid-September to mid-November, then the knockout stages played on various Tuesdays and Wednesdays from mid-February to mid-April.

Starting Price

$6,900 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.

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Lauren S.
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The planning experience was wonderful overall. From the initial conversation about what my family was looking for to the final touches to the itinerary, Zicasso's travel expert was engaging, responsive, and helpful.

The accommodations he selected for us exceeded expectations; they were spacious, beautiful, and well-located. The tours/activities suggested were really fun and gave us a sense of the locale in a unique and memorable way that fit our family well. Once we were in-country, communications were easy and helpful. We felt very well cared for.

Payment to our travel company was easy and it was a real pleasure once we were in-country to have all the identified items already paid for. I would definitely book a trip with them again.

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Spain Vacation Review: History, Architecture, Hiking, E-Biking, Barcelona, Caminito del Rey, Marbella, 2 Weeks

Zicasso's travel specialists did a great job for us. They clearly listened to us and curated an experience that was made specifically for us. It checked all of the boxes and more.

Highlights were the local tour guides in each city. It was great to meet and get to know local people, learn so much history, see the architecture (Gaudí in Barcelona and the awesome palaces and cathedrals that we visited), the Montserrat hike, Caminito del Rey (which was absolutely better with a guide), and the Marbella e-bike adventure.

The hotels were wonderful; all unique and all great choices. We came home happy and tired, which is the sign of a good trip for us (since we do not ever sit on beaches or at pools and relax!).

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Customizable Itinerary

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

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