Spanish Fiesta

15 Days /14 Nights
1 night Transatlantic Flight,

2 nights Madrid, 2 nights Seville, 1 night Granada,

1 night Valencia,  2 nights Barcelona, 2 nights San Sebastian,

1 night Burgos, 2 nights Salamanca
14 Breakfasts, 14 Dinners

Day 1: DEPARTURE CITY - MADRID

Overnight flight to Athens.
 

Day 2: MADRID

Welcome to Madrid, Spain’s capital city. Upon arrival at the airport we transfer to our centrally located Hotel. After checking into your hotel, time to relax. Later with your Tour Director enjoy a walking tour of the historic centre  and the famous old Plaza Mayor. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel

Day 3: MADRID

Breakfast. This morning on our sightseeing tour with a local guide we will see the main highlights of this buzzing city, including the Cibeles fountain, the Gran Via, Paseo de la Castellana, Puerta del Sol and Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes. Later we will visit the famous Prado Museum famous for its Velazquez paintings. Afternoon free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 4: MADRID - TOLEDO - SEVILLE

After breakfast we leave Madrid and our first stop of the day is in the ancient capital of Castile - the medieval city of Toledo. We will visit this traffic free city on foot, with a local guide who will take us through the quaint streets to the Jewish synagogue to see the El Greco masterpiece in the Chapel of Santo Tome. We will also visit a damascene workshop and see how this fine art is executed. We continue south to Puerto Lapice where Don Quixote is reputedly said to have been dubbed knight by a local innkeeper. The plains of La Mancha give way to the hills of Andalusia with its whitewashed villages and churches and to the city of Seville, straddling the River Guadalquivir.  Arrive in Seville late afternoon. Free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 5: SEVILLE

Breakfast. Today our local city expert will take us on a city tour where you can admire the great monuments and sights of this lovely city. First we will drive through the Maria Luisa Park with its cool pools and fountains. The pavilions constructed for the Hispano-American exhibition at the beginning of the 20th century are still as impressive today as they were in the 1930s. We will then see the mighty cathedral and the Mozarabic Tower of La Giralda and visit some of the delightful patios adorned with pots of geraniums and bougainvilleas. Afternoon freetime. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 6: SEVILLE - GRANADA

Breakfast. This morning we leave the exquisite capital of Andalusia, Seville, and enjoy a beautiful drive through gleaming white villages and brilliant fields of golden sunflowers to Granada, capital of the Moorish Kingdom of Spain until the Moors’ defeat in 1492. In Granada we will visit the Albaicin quarter and its stunning architecture and then the Alhambra Palace and gardens, an opportunity not to be missed! The Palace is a complex of magnificent buildings begun by the Moors and built over the centuries. Highlights are the famous Lion Court as well as the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence, where you have fine views over the town. Free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 7: GRANADA - VALENCIA

Breakfast. Today a scenic drive takes us over the Mora Pass and through the Sierra Nevada where we see the unusual Troglodyte dwellings in Guadix. Then on through the lemon groves of Murcia and the palm tree forests of Elche to arrive in Valencia, renowned for its orange groves. In Valencia we will see the bull ring, the great cathedral and the Towers of Serrano and Cuarte. Free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 8: VALENCIA - BARCELONA

Breakfast. This morning we drive through the Levant region and make our first stop on the coast at Peñiscola. Here we see the castle, that was used in the film El Cid and which is lapped by the sea. We continue along the Costa Dorada to the vibrant city of Barcelona. On arrival enjoy a walking tour that takes you down Las Ramblas, the tree-lined pedestrian boulevard. Wander among the newspaper kiosks, flower and bird stalls, and performers, from human statues to street musicians to fortune tellers. Restaurants, cafés and hotels abound, as do tourists and locals alike. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 9: BARCELONA

After breakfast your guided tour takes you past the controversial and still-unfinished La Sagrada Familia (the Church of the Holy Family), where you will make a photo stop. This masterpiece of twisting spires and colourful mosaics was designed by Gaudí, who estimated it would take 200 years to complete. You will also see some of Gaudi's other works during our panoramic bus tour of Paseo de Gracia, one of Spain’s most cosmopolitan streets. Check out Plaza de Catalunya and Plaza España, a bustling six-street intersection that boasts the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, a fountain that puts on a fabulous show of water, lights and music on the weekends. Then enjoy a marvellous harbour view from atop Montjuïc Hill, where much of the 1992 Olympics took place. Here, you will see the former stadium and the Olympic Rings. Continue to the Plaza de Colon and  finish your tour in the 14th-century Barrio Gótico, the oldest surviving part of the city, and home to the stunning Barcelona Cathedral. Afternoon free time Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 10: BARCELONA - ZARAGOZA - SAN SEBASTIAN

Breakfast. An early morning departure from Barcelona sees the tour heading through the countryside towards Zaragoza. Known as the City of Four Cultures, Zaragoza and the villages in and around the surrounding province are awash with history. Upon arrival in Zaragoza, there will be a guided tour of the historic centre before continuing on to San Sebastian. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 11: SAN SEBASTIAN

Breakfast. This morning join your Tour Director on a discovery sightseeing journey of San Sebastian, one of the most beautiful coastal cities of the entire peninsula. Visit the historic centre and walk along the magnificent shore promenades. Afternoon free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 12: SAN SEBASTIAN - BILBAO - BURGOS

After breakfast we head for Bilbao for a guided tour of the city, home to the Guggenheim Museum building designed by North American architect Frank O. Gehry, and a magnificent example of the most groundbreaking architecture to have come out of the 20th Century. We then continue for Burgos for a walking tour of the town. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 13: BURGOS - VALLADOLID - SALAMANCA

After breakfast we travel to Valladolid. The city situated on the River Pisuerga, preserves an interesting Renaissance group of buildings in its old quarter, made up of houses, palaces, churches and one of its most symbolic buildings, its Cathedral. After a walking tour and some free time we continue to Salamanca for a late afternoon arrival. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 14: SALAMANCA

Breakfast. We dedicate today to the discovery of Salamanca. The city is also called ‘The Golden Town’, because of the use of sandstones as building material, which adds a golden glow in sunbeams to Salamanca’s monuments. The city is famous for one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, hosting 50.000 students a year. More than 30.000 foreigners come to Salamanca every year to improve their Spanish language skills. This makes Salamanca a very cosmopolitan place, where students make new friends who come from all over the world. Join your Tour Director on a walking tour of the city historical centre. Afternoon free time. Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel.

Day 15: MADRID DEPARTURE

Transfer to the Madrid airport for your flight home.