Welcome to the capital city Madrid, upon arrival at the airport, we will be waiting for you for the transfer to the hotel. Check in to the hotel and after sometime attend the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travelers. Overnight stay at Madrid.
After having the breakfast, we will leave in the early morning and cross Castilla and Leon. We will make a stop in TORDESILLAS to learn about the history of this small town and have a coffee at its main square. Then we will continue to LEON, a historic city on the Way of St. James, where we will have time for lunch and to see the fantastic Gothic cathedral. After that we will cross the Cantabrian Range mountains on our way to Asturias. Arrival in OVIEDO in the evening. We will include (occasionally the next morning) an hour-and-a-half city tour with a local guide in which we will visit its 9th century cathedral, Calatrava Congressional Palace, Campoamor Theatre and Calle de la Rua.
We will travel to Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe). We will visit Basilica of COVADONGA, which is surrounded by beautiful scenery. Then following the coastline, we will head to SANTILLANA, one of Spain’s most beautiful towns, and we will visit its well-preserved medieval quarter. We will also visit the Museum of the ALTAMIRA Caves (ticket included), located in the vicinity of this town. We will later travel to SANTANDER, the region’s capital, a coastal city with amazing views and beaches. We will explore and learn about this elegant city and beautiful bay during the included city tour.
We will follow the motorway along the Cantabrian coast. Some of the sceneries we will see today, as we travel between the mountains and the sea, are especially beautiful. BILBAO. We arrive in the Basque Country´s largest city. We will go on a short city tour with a local guide which will cover: the Guggenheim area, the old quarter, the Cathedral… then there will be free time to enjoy some authentic “pintxos”. We will then travel to La Rioja, an outstanding winemaking region. We will visit the Wine Museum in Briones and learn about the significance of the ancient art of winemaking. ZARAGOZA, we will arrive in the evening.
We include a morning sightseeing tour of the city of ZARAGOZA with a local guide. We will visit the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. We will also learn about Goya, the famous painter (and see some of his works), visit the Roman theatre, the Renaissance palace and have a walk by the Aljafería Palace. After lunch we will continue our journey and head to the POBLET MONASTERY, a walled monastery surrounded by the beautiful scenery. It is one of the best-preserved medieval monasteries in the world (ticket included). We will continue to BARCELONA, arrival in the evening.
In the morning we include a city tour of Barcelona, considered one of the most interesting European capitals, open to the Mediterranean Sea, famous for Gaudí and its modernist architecture, also for the ramblas and the memories of the Universal Exhibitions and Olympics that took place there. Free time in the afternoon. In the evening we include a transfer to the Maremagnum, a modern leisure center and restaurants facing the sea, next to Plaza Colón, where you can stroll through this lively area and dine.
We will travel south along the Mediterranean. We will make a stop in PEÑISCOLA, a small medieval walled city surrounded by beautiful beaches. Time for a walk. We continue to VALENCIA, where we will arrive at lunch time. In the afternoon we will make a visit with a local guide of this port city on the Levantine coast, with more than 2000 years of history that dot its urban layout with monuments from all periods that contrast with the architectural avant-garde of buildings such as the city of the Arts and Sciences. Free time.
Today we will continue our trip and head to ALICANTE. We will have time to take a walk in this charming, coastal city and, after lunch, we will make our way to the Murcia region, where we will visit CARAVACA DE LA CRUZ, a town considered by the Catholic Church as one of the five holy cities. Its church holds a relic of Christ’s Cross. We will also take a train ride up to its historic area, which we can explore, before we continue our trip along scenic roads on our way to Andalusia. We will end the day in GRANADA.
Full day in GRANADA and if you have purchased the tour with the entrance included, visit the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built in the Arab era. Free time in afternoon, during which you can visit the cathedral that houses the tomb of the Catholic Monarchs.
Departure from Granada. We travel towards the Costa del Sol. MÁLAGA, arrival and time for a walk through its historic center, where the cathedral and the Picasso Museum stand out. After that we continue along the coastal highway, with beautiful landscapes over the Mediterranean. PUERTO BANUS, located in Marbella, a beautiful high-level recreational port. In the afternoon we continue the route through the mountains, stories of bandits before arriving in RONDA, a beautiful white town with its large gap that cuts the city in half. We continue to SEVILLE. Arrival in the evening.
In the morning we include a city tour. You will be able to see the cathedral and its famous Giralda, the banks of the Guadalquivir River, and the popular neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana. After the visit we will include a boat ride along the Guadalquivir River. Enjoy the panoramic views from the boat. In the evening we offer you the possibility to attend a popular flamenco tablao.
After having the breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your departure with bag full of memories.
