Detailed Itinerary
10 Days/ 9 Nights
Day 01: Madrid - Arrival
Evening transport to the Gran Vía district
Welcome to Madrid! Upon arrival at the airport, we shall be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Our guide will be ready to welcome you and will provide the necessary information. Towards the end of the day, we provide transfers to the Egyptian Debod temple, Plaza de Es¬paña 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.
Day 02: Madrid
Madrid city tour. Visit to the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas bullring. Stroll through the Retiro Park.
This morning, experience the city on a guided tour, which showcases the city’s vibrant centre, the beautiful Plaza Mayor (Main Square), its broad and magnificent avenues and its many fountains. Our tour includes a visit to see inside the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, a fine-looking building. Here we learn about the tradition of “corridas” in the Bullfighting Museum. Also the day includes a walking tour of the beautiful Retiro Park, enhanced by the lake and Crystal Palace. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon. If you wish, there is an optional visit to the ROYAL PALACE. At sunset we provide transfer to the Plaza de Oriente in the historic centre of Madrid, opposite the Royal Palace. In this area there are many restaurants serving different exquisite cuisines (Indian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Spanish, Inter¬national). Return to hotel.
Day 03: Madrid - Zaragoza - Poblet - Montserrat - Barcelona
Basílica del Pilar, visit to medieval monastery. Ride on a rack train
We depart early in the morning from Madrid. Heading towards Aragón, we pause our journey in ZARAGOZA. Our guide will join the group to Basílica del Pi¬lar. We visit this impressive sanctuary. Directly afterwards, the group will have free time in the city centre. Later, we make our way to Cataluña to the Monastery of Poblet, surrounded by walls in a beautiful setting, this is one of the best preserved medieval monasteries in the world (entrance and guided tour included). We then go on to the Monastery of Montserrat where we include a ride on the rack train for the fantastic views this gives. Continuation to BARCELONA, arrival in the late afternoon. Important note: in the winter months, from November to March (included), due to the shorter days, the Monastery of Poblet will not be visited (so that we can reach Montserrat in the daylight).
Day 04: Barcelona
Barcelona city tour. “Spanish Village” visit and evening transfer to Las Ramblas district
Today we will get to know Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Medi¬terranean Sea. Our visit includes 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 also visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic neigh¬bourhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the Olympic Games took place. It will be possible to see and photograph La Sagrada Fa¬milia basilica; the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí. Subsequently, we include the entry ticket to “Poble Espanyol” (meaning “Spanish Village”). This open air architectural museum is situated in one of the most emblematic areas of Barcelona. Be delighted by the best Spanish craftsmanship and discover the architectural styles, traditions and folklore of the different communities in Spain. Free time to explore the city on your own. In the evening we provide transfer to Las Ramblas and Plaza Cata¬lunya area, where you can select from a great variety of restaurants (including Indian, Chinese, Halal, International and regional Spanish cuisine). Return to hotel.
Day 05: Barcelona - Peñiscola - Valencia
Visit Peñiscola, a beautiful walled town combined with a castle on the sea. Discover Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences. Evening transfers.
We travel south along the Mediterranean. A special stop is made at Pe–iscola, a small walled town on the shores of the sea. After a short introduction given by our guide, you can make your way through the town, discovering the fishing port, the castle and the beach. Time for a walk and lunch. Afterwards we travel to Valencia, the third largest Spanish city, where we will see the City of Arts and Sciences, the most important modern tourist site in the city of Valencia. Next, we walk through the historic centre of the city, and our guide will accompany us to the Cathedral. Evening transfer to the Plaza de Toros. In this area you will have time to dine in line with your preferences (Spanish, Indian, international, etc.). Return to hotel.
Day 06: Valencia - Alicante - Caravaca de la Cruz - Granada
Tourist train in Caravaca.
We continue through the community of Valencia. ALICANTE. Time to stroll in this active and very pleasant city by the sea. After lunch we go on our way to the Murcia region, where we will see CARAVACA DE LA CRUZ, A town considered by the Catholic Church as one of the 5 holy cities, its church holds a relic of Christ’s Cross. We include a ride up to the historic area on the tourist train. After this we will carry on along an attractive scenic road to ANDALUSIA. Arrival at the end of the day in GRANADA.
Day 07: Granada
Visit to the Alhambra. Night transfer.
A full day in GRANADA and tour (including entrance and local guide) of the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens built in Arab times. Time for lunch. Free afternoon to see the Cathedral with the sepulchre of the Catholic Kings. Later, enjoy an evening transfer to Plaza de Gracia in Granada’s city centre, where restaurants mix with local cultural flavour to create an unforgettable night. Choose between Spanish, international, Chinese, Latin cuisines, etc. Tonight you have the option to attend a flamenco dance show and the traditional neighbourhood of Sac¬ramonte. Note: in the Alhambra complex, the Nazari palaces allow a limited number of people in at a time. Sometimes your visit may be in the afternoon, depending on the timetables in which we are allowed in. In the highly improbable case of not being able to visit this area of the Alhambra, a visit to the Alcázares will be included in Seville (which have similar architecture and features).
Day 08: Granada - Malaga - Marbella - Ronda - Seville
we will see the beautiful Andalusian village of Ronda
We leave Granada and travel towards the Costa del Sol. MALAGA, arrival and time for a stroll in the historic centre with its cathedral and the Picasso Museum. After this we will continue along the coastal motorway with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. PUERTO BANUS, in Marbella, a pretty high level recreational port. Time for lunch. In the afternoon we will continue through the hills and their stories of bandoliers until we come to RONDA, a very beautiful white town with its large gorge that divides it in two. Continuation to SEVILLE. Arrival at the end of the afternoon.
Day 09: Seville
Guided visit with local expert in Seville. Night transfer to the historic city centre.
After breakfast, a local expert guides you through a scenic visit of Seville featuring the Cathedral and its famous Giralda, the banks of the Guadalquivir River, popu¬lar neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana and the beautiful Plaza de España. (Note: If the group has fewer than fifteen travellers, it can be arranged in both Spanish and English). Enjoy leisure time straight afterwards. At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (Calle Alfonso XII) where many different restaurants can be found. You can choose your favourite cuisine: Indian, Halal, Chinese, Spanish, International, and so on.
Day 10: Sevilla - Cordoba - Consuegra - Madrid
Visit to Mosque of Cordoba. Windmills in Consuegra
We leave Seville following the valley of the Guadalquivir to CÓRDOBA. Free time to stroll through its flowered alleys and visit with a local guide his great Mosque –Cathedral (entrance included). After lunch, we continue towards the Castilian lands and stop at CONSUEGRA, where 12 giant windmills next to the castle, contemplate the La Mancha plain. We visit Venta Bolero windmill. Continuation to MADRID and arrival at the end of the day. End of our services.