Spanish Ring with Lisbon

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 España 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.

The day starts about 08.30 hrs with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Gran Via, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. Visit to Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. Admission to Las Ventas Bullring included. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of “corridas” in the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

At sunset we provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different exquisite cuisines (Indian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Spanish, International) in which to enjoy a pleasant dinner. Return to hotel.

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 Pilar. Directly afterwards the group will have free time to visit this impressive sanctuary and enjoy 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 mediaeval 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)

Today we will get to know Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Mediterranean 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 neighbourhood 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 Familia 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 Catalunya area, where you can select from a great variety of restaurants (including Indian, Chinese, Halal, International and regional Spanish cuisine). Return to hotel.

We travel south along the Mediterranean. A special stop is made at Peñiscola, 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.

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.

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 the city centre of Granada, 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 Sacramonte.

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).

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.

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, popular 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.

We leave Seville and in the province of Huelva, we travel to PALOS DE LA FRONTERA. We include entrance to the Carabelas Museum; this is where Columbus set sail on 3 August 1492 for America. We will see the Rabida Monastery, declared a World Heritage site, a Franciscan monastery strongly linked to the history of the discovery (entrance included). After this we will travel to Portugal. MERTOLA, a stop in this ancient Muslim city, its present church was a mosque, and time for lunch. After this, through white villages we come to EVORA city declared a World Heritage site with its wide streets, its Renaissance policies and its cathedral, we will include the entrance to the impressive Chapel of Bones, built with 5000 skeletons! LISBON, arrival at the end of the day.

In the morning we have a sightseeing tour with a local guide (note: Explanations may be given by our guide if the group has fewer than twelve people). We visit traditional neighbourhoods, which take in the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the Fifteenth Century. We shall look round the Monument to the Discoveries, Belem Tower, and enter to the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the Belem neighbourhood, we invite all our travellers to try a “Belem cake”, an exquisite local delicacy. The afternoon is free so that you can explore this great city independently.

We include night transportation to Restauradores Square , full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes from where we suggest you to take the ¨Elevador da Gloria¨ that brings you to the Upper district and its viewpoint.

After breakfast, end of our services.