by country
The Specials
DAY 1
Arrival at Barajas Airport. Transfer to the hotel.
DAY 2
Madrid
The tour starts with a visit to the Puerta del Sol, the "heart" of Madrid. Feel the atmosphere of the city from the plaza, one of the busiest places in the city. See the famous statue of a bear climbing a tree, the symbol of Madrid. Continue to Plaza Mayor, a grand arcaded square in the center, with a bronze statue of King Philip III. See the Parliament building and famous Cibeles Fountain, named after the roman goddess of nature. Walk along the elegant Calle Alcala and Paseo de Castellana, the longest and the oldest streets in Madrid. Visit the spectacular Prado Museum and enjoy one of the finest art collections in the world and the best collection of classical art in Madrid. Continue to El Escorial, a historical residence of the king of Spain. See one of the Spanish royal sites that functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and school.
DAY 3
Madrid – Segovia (90km./1h.) – Burgos (200km./2h.30min.)– Vitoria-Gasteiz (110km./1h.30min.)
Departure to Segovia. Visit the popular Alcazar, decorated in a variety of styles including Romansque, Gothic, Mudejar, and Renaissance. The Alcazar is also widely known to be Walt Disney's inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. See the famous Roman aqueduct, built around the late 1st Century AD. Continue to Burgos, a stop along the Camino de Santiago and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the impressive Cathedral of Santa Maria, where the tomb of the Spanish hero El Cid is situated. Departure to Vitoria-Gasteiz, the heart of the Basque country. Walk around the ancient town of the city.
DAY 4
Vitoria-Gasteiz – Bilbao (70km./1h.) – San Sebastian (100km./1h.30min.) – Pamplona (80km./1h.)
Departure to Bilbao. Visit the Guggenheim museum, a spectacular twisting titanium-clad modern art museum. The graceful, sensuous curves, evocative of the ships that used to be ubiquitous along the docks of Bilbao, are covered in titanium squares, which resemble the scales of a fish and shimmer in the sunlight. Travel to San Sebastian that boasts one of the best in-city beaches in Europe. Enjoy great views of the town from top of Mount Igueldo. Arrival in Pamplona, the heart of Navarra, famous world-wide for its San Fermín festival also known as "The Running of the Bulls".
DAY 5
Pamplona – Zaragoza (180km./2h.) – Barcelona (300km./3h.)
Departure to Zaragoza. Visit Catedral de la Seo, a gothic style cathedral. Stop on Plaza del Pilar, one of Europe’s grandest squares. Continue to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar that features paintings by Goya and Bayaeu. Travel to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, unequivocally a Mediterranean city.
DAY 6
Barcelona
Get a unique view of the harbor from the Columbus Monument “El mirrador”. Enjoy a walk along Las Ramblas, the busiest and most lively street of the city. Arrive at the Plaza de Cataluna and continue to Paseo de Gracia. Admire the impressive Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s masterpiece. Feel the atmosphere of the city walking in the Gothic quarter. Visit the Cathedral of Barcelona. Go to the Guell Park.The sculpture portion is full of walkways and other structures exhibiting the distinct and colorful style of Gaudi, including the famous terrace. Get a panoramic view of the city and harbor from Montjuïc Hill. Enjoy the gorgeous Montjuic Dancing Fountains.
DAY 7
Barcelona – Valencia (350km./4h.)
Enjoy the trip to Valencia along the coast. The tour of the charming old city starts by going to the neo-classical town hall, library and museum. Continue to La Llotja, a late Valencian Gothic style civil building, the site of the ancient local silk trade. Go to the Arena of Valencia. See the massive Torres de Quart, Torres de Serrano, medieval towers, part of the ancient wall that surrounded the old city. Enjoy the Arts and Science Complex, located where the old river Turia used to flow. It is famous for its architecture by Santiago Calatrava. The tour finishes with a visit of La Seo, a curious cathedral with doors from three distinct architectural periods.
DAY 8
Valencia – Granada (500km/5h.)
Visit Granada’s main attraction, the Alhambra . Part fortress, part palace and part elaborate garden. this Moorish medieval complex overlooking Granada is often considered on par with the 7 wonders of the world. Admire the panoramic view of the Old Quarter and Sacromonte, a cave which houses a museum, discos, and flamenco shows. Enjoy the fascinating water gardens of the Generalife, a former summer palace and country estate of the Emirate of Granada in Al-Andalus.
DAY 9
Granada – Gibraltar (260km./3h.) – Seville (200km./2h.30min)
Departure to Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the UK. This is a unique place for curious travelers. Get to the Europa Point - where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and from which the coast of Africa can be seen. Go to the Upper Rock , a military installation, and nature reserve to see the famous monkeys (Barbary Macaques). Visit St Michael's Cave, an impressive natural grotto used by the neolithic inhabitants of the Rock. See the Siege Tunnels, a system of tunnels dug during the Great Siege which acted as a defence system. Have some fun watching the Dolphin Show in the bay. Arrival in Seville, the heart of flamenco.
DAY 10
Seville
Enjoy a walk in the Santa Cruz quarter, its cramped streets, flowered balconies, richly decorated facades, hidden patios. See The Cathedral of Seville, which occupies the site of the former great mosque built in the latter part of the twelfth century. The Cathedral is the final resting place of the remains of Christopher Columbus. Enjoy the panoramic view of the city from La Giralda, a symbol of Seville. Visit the Real Alcázar, built in Moorish style. Explore the secret of its myriad rooms, extravagant architecture and lavish gardens. See the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River and the university that used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame.
DAY 11
Seville – Toledo (500km./5h.) – Madrid (100km./1h.)
Departure to Toledo. An often overlooked gem, Toledo sits majestically above the the Tagus River. Visit The Cathedral, the centre piece of Toledo. See the sparkling gold reliefs, huge oil paintings and portraits of all of the Toledo Cardinals going back at least 500 years. Continue to one of the jewels of Toledo "Sinagoga El Transito", which hosts the Sefardi Museum. See one of El Greco's most famous and recognized works "El Entierro del Senor de Orgaz", housed in Church of Santo Tome. See The Alcázar of Toledo, the Moorish stone fortification located in the highest part of the city.
DAY 12
Transfer to the airport.
