Spectacular Spain

2012 Season
Departs From: Madrid

From 1,052EUR

Length:  9 days from Madrid to Madrid, or 10 days incl. travel

Overview

You’ll truly experience the best of Spain on this journey that includes 2-night stays in Madrid, Costa del Sol, and Seville. Spain is a country steeped in history, and you’ll have an opportunity to see some of its historical sights, as well as its well-known museums and churches. A tour highlight is the Prado Museum in Madrid. One of the most prestigious art museums in the world, the Prado houses 8,000 pieces of Western painting—from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Enjoy Toledo, a city that has been influenced by three cultures—Arabic, Jewish, and Christian—and see the architectural styles left behind by each. While in Toledo, visit the Church of Santo Tomé with one of El Greco’s most famous paintings. Also visit Granada, a city with more than 1,000 years of recorded history, and see the Alhambra Complex. The Alhambra was a palace, citadel, and fortress for the Nasrid sultans and their servants, elite soldiers, and high officials from the 13th to 14th centuries. Time on the Costa del Sol gives you a chance to relax, enjoy the sandy beaches, and browse the trendy boutiques. Other highlights are a guided walking tour in historic Ronda and a sherry wine tasting with tapas at a bodega in Jerez. While in Spain, be sure to sample paella and take lots of photos of this memorable vacation.

Duration:  9 Days

Schedule:

Start Date	End Date
02 June, 2012	10 June, 2012
09 June, 2012	17 June, 2012
16 June, 2012	24 June, 2012
07 July, 2012	15 July, 2012
14 July, 2012	22 July, 2012
21 July, 2012	29 July, 2012
28 July, 2012	05 August, 2012
18 August, 2012	26 August, 2012
25 August, 2012	02 September, 2012
01 September, 2012	09 September, 2012
08 September, 2012	16 September, 2012
15 September, 2012	23 September, 2012
22 September, 2012	30 September, 2012
29 September, 2012	07 October, 2012
06 October, 2012	14 October, 2012
13 October, 2012	21 October, 2012

City Highlights

Madrid
Welcome and farewell dinners; guided sightseeing, visit the Prado Museum

Toledo
Guided walking tour, visit an early synagogue, the gothic cathedral, Santo Tomé Church with one of El Greco’s masterpieces; visit a Damascene steel workshop

Granada
Guided walking tour, visit the Alhambra complex and the Water Gardens of the Generalife; dinner at a local restaurant

Ronda
Walking tour

Jerez
Sherry wine tasting with Spanish tapas

Seville
Guided sightseeing, walk through the Santa Cruz quarter, and visit the Alcazar

Cordoba
Guided walking tour, visit the Mosque of the Caliphs

Headsets throughout the tour

Note:

If you intend to join the optional excursion to Gibraltar, please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler. For Gibraltar, a special visa is required; a UK or Schengen visa will not gain entrance.

Day 1   Arrive in Madrid, Spain. Time to rest or to start exploring the Spanish capital. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 2   Madrid. The capital since 1561, Madrid today is a strikingly modern city, the showcase of a country resolutely turned towards the future. Your Local Guide takes you to the Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, elegant Calle Alcala, and Paseo de Castellana. Then, the highlight: a visit to the palatial PRADO MUSEUM with its priceless art treasures. Afternoon at leisure. An optional excursion to El Escorial can be arranged. (B)

Day 3   Madrid–Toledo–Granada. This morning, focus on splendid Toledo. Spectacularly situated on a granite hill surrounded by a loop of the Tagus River, the ancient Castilian capital attracts more sightseers from all over the world than any other Spanish town. A Local Guide takes you to the Moorish bridge, an early SYNAGOGUE, the 13th-century gothic CATHEDRAL, and the CHURCH OF SANTO TOMÉ with one of El Greco’s most famous paintings. Also time to visit a DAMASCENE STEEL WORKSHOP before arriving in history-steeped Granada. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 4   Granada–Costa del Sol. See the sights of Granada with a Local Guide and visit its main attraction, the ALHAMBRA COMPLEX. The mighty yet graceful citadel was planned by 13th-century Moorish ruler Al Ahamar. A fantasy of “lace in stone” surrounded by arabesque gardens and fountains, it affords superb views of the Old Quarter and Sacromonte, a mountain occupied by Gypsy cave dwellers. Also amble through the magnificent WATER GARDENS OF THE GENERALIFE, the royal summer residence. Then, turn towards the sea, away from the mountains, to lively Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol. (B)

Day 5   At Leisure on the Costa del Sol. A free day at your beachfront hotel. Catch up on your postcards, enjoy the sandy beaches, browse through the trendy boutiques, and sample the many fancy restaurants. You may want to join an optional excursion to the Rock of Gibraltar, in British hands since 1704. (B)

Day 6   Costa del Sol–Ronda–Jerez–Seville. Visit picturesque, historic Ronda, perched on a platform of the Sierra de Ronda and cut in two by a deep ravine, before reaching Jerez, famous for its sherry wines and magnificent horses of mixed Spanish, Arab, and English blood. Highlight today is a visit to a SHERRY BODEGA, where you can taste the sherry wine, accompanied by local tapas. Then, on to Seville, the vibrant capital of Andalusia. (B,D

Day 7   Seville. During your sightseeing tour with a Local Guide, hear about the city’s role in Roman times, its conquest by the Moors in 712 AD, and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. Admire Maria Luisa Park, the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the university that used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Then, stroll through the narrow lanes of the charming SANTA CRUZ QUARTER. Highlight is a visit to the ALCAZAR, founded in the 11th century as a Moorish fortress, with its Palacio de Don Pedro. For those interested, an optional extended guided visit to the cathedral is available. Tonight, for a truly Andalusian night out, reserve a seat at our optional Flamenco show. (B)

Day 8   Seville–Cordoba–Madrid. In the morning, enjoy a walking tour with a Local Guide in Cordoba. See the Alcazar, the Roman Bridge, and the medieval Jewish quarter. Tour the magnificent 8th-century MOSQUE OF THE CALIPHS, famous for its 850 pillars of porphyry, marble, and jasper. Next, drive north from the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir River through the arid landscapes of Don Quixote’s La Mancha back to Madrid. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,D)

Day 9   Madrid. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Meals:  Full buffet breakfast daily (B); 4 three-course dinners (D), including welcome and farewell dinners in Madrid and a special dinner with wine in Granada

Hotel Information:  MADRID Catalonia Centro (F), GRANADA Saray (SF), TORREMOLINOS Melia Costa del Sol (SF), SEVILLE Sevilla Center (SF), MADRID NH Principe de Vergara (F)


Terms and Conditions

Note: Flights are NOT included with the Tour and unless otherwise stated above transfers are also NOT included.

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