01 SAT. Madrid -
Arrival.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Transfer to the hotel. Evening transport to the Gran
Vía district. Welcome to Madrid!
Upon arriving at the airport we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.
You can enjoy free time until the beginning of your tour. Please, check the
informative posters placed at the hotel reception area which have all the
information about the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travelers.
Towards the end of the day, we provide transfers to the Egyptian Debod
Temple, Plaza de España and Gran Via; a vibrant district where you can
dine at your preferred restaurant: Indian, Chinese, Spanish and Middle Eastern
are some of the options available.
02 SUN. Madrid.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Madrid city tour. Stroll through the Retiro Park.
Visit to the Las Ventas bullring. Evening transfer.
The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the center of
Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá,
Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the
city center, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las
Ventas Bullring (admission included) is next. This is one of the most
famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the
“corridas” at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your
own leisure. At sunset we will provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente,
opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants
serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international and
Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice. At the end of the evening we
will return to the hotel.
03 MON. Madrid - Granada.-
TODAY’S HIGLIGHTS: Lunch included. Entrance and local guide in the
Alhambra. Evening transfer.
We leave Madrid in the early morning. We travel to the south across La Mancha,
stopping in PUERTO LAPICE, a ‘manchego’ village evoking the figure of
Don Quixote. We will enter Andalusia via Despeñaperros, arriving in GRANADA.
Lunch included. In the afternoon, we will visit with a local guide
the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built
in Arabian times. In the evening we visit the Albaicín district of
Granada, a World Heritage site along with the Alhambra, where you can enjoy
dinner in the narrow winding streets of this captivating Medieval Moorish
quarter. Tonight, you have the option to attend a flamenco dance show and the
traditional neighborhood of Sacromonte.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The maximum number of people allowed to visit the
Alhambra is limited by the local government. Even if you buy the trip with the
ticket included we cannot guarantee entrance to the Alhambra. In such event, we
would offer entry to the Reales Alcázares in Seville, which is similar.
04 TUE. Granada - Malaga - Marbella - Ronda - Seville.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Costa del Sol and the Andalusian village of Ronda.
Departing from Granada and travelling towards the Costa del Sol, we will
arrive in MALAGA and explore its historic city center, with its
cathedral and the Picasso Museum. After this we will continue along the coastal
motorway with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. Stopping in PUERTO BANUS,
Marbella, a beautiful resort known as the playground of Europe’s rich and
famous. In the afternoon we will continue through the hills until we reach RONDA,
a very beautiful “white town” with its large gorge that divides it in two. Then
we will travel onward to SEVILLE, arrival sometime in the late
afternoon.
05 WED. Seville.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Guided visit with local expert in Seville. Boat trip
along the river Guadalquivir. Night transfer to the historic center.
After breakfast, a local expert will guide you on a scenic visit of Seville
featuring the Cathedral and its famous Giralda (bell tower), the banks of the
Guadalquivir River, popular neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana and the
beautiful Plaza de España. After the visit, we will include a boat trip
along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat.
Afterwards, you will have free time to explore at your own leisure. At the end
of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city center area (Calle
Alfonso XII) where there are many different types of restaurants for you to
choose from.
06 THU. Seville- Zaragoza - Poblet - Montserrat - Barcelona.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: High-speed train from Seville to Zaragoza; Monastery
of Poblet, rack train to Montserrat.
Leaving Seville in the early morning, you will be transferred to the train
station to take a comfortable high-speed train to Zaragoza. In a little
under four hours, you will cover the 850 km between Seville and Zaragoza.
In ZARAGOZA you will join the group and have free time to visit this
impressive Pilar Basilica and enjoy the city center. We continue to the Monastery
of Poblet, surrounded by its walls in a beautiful site that is one of the
best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world (entrance included). We
then proceed to the Monastery of Montserrat where you will go up the
mountain on a rack train to see its fantastic scenery. Following this we
will continue to BARCELONA, arriving in the late afternoon.
Note: In some cases, depending on the timetable of the rack
railway, the ascent to Montserrat can be done in our coach. From November to
March, due to the shorter duration of the days, we will neither be ascending
nor stopping in Montserrat.
Note: The guide will only travel on the train if the group is over 15
passengers.
07 FRI. Barcelona.-
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Barcelona city tour. “Spanish Village” visit and
evening transfer to the Magic Fountain of Montjuich.
Today we will explore Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Medi¬terranean
Sea. Starting by an informative city tour with a local expert (note: If
the group has fewer than fifteen people, explanations can be given by our
guide.) We will also visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic
neighborhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the
Olympic Games took place. We will also get the chance to see La Sagrada Familia
Basilica, the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí.
Following this, we include the entry ticket to visit ‘Poble Espanyol’ (meaning
‘Spanish Village’). This open-air architectural museum is situated in one of
the most emblematic areas of Barcelona. Enjoy the Spanish craftsmanship and
discover the architectural styles, traditions and folklore of the different
regions that make up Spain. You will then have some free time to explore the
city at your own leisure.
In the evening, we include transportation and will attend the show of The
Magic Fountain of Montjuïch, with its combination of lights, colors, water
and music. You will have time to dine in this area.
Note: in case of having the transfer to the Magic Fountain a day that
for maintenance or any other reason the show is not performed, the night transfer
will be given to the Maremagnum, avant-garde leisure center with restaurants by
the sea and to the Plaza Colón. return to the hotel in the late evening.
08 SAT. Barcelona.-
After breakfast, end of our services.