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13 Day Historic Spain Tour
offered by supplier M19330 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 13
day(s)
Group Size: 2
- 12
people
Destination(s):
Spain
Specialty Categories:
Cultural Journey
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 3000 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 3000 US Dollar (USD)
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Spain is a country of contrasts, although it has become bright and vivid, it is still austere in manners and in look. Outside of the tourist areas, you will find dusty streets, old women in black, and architecture that reflects its Roman, Moorish, Jewish, and Castilian heritage. Modern Spain is a wonderful contradiction of its history: generous, reserved, fun-loving, determined.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Flight to Madrid. Stay overnight in the central area of Madrid, just off the Plaza Major, the historical center of Habsburg Madrid. In the evening eat at a Tapas bar and of course drink a deep red wine from La Rioja.
Day 2: Madrid
Day in Madrid. In the morning you will tour the Palacio Real, the largest royal palace in Europe. Velazquez, Tiepolo, Caravaggio, and Goya grace the walls and afterwards stroll through the gardens of the palace, the Campo del Moro. In the afternoon explore the museums that make up what is known as Madrid's Golden Triangle; the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofia Art Museum. The three art galleries virtually cover all of Spanish art. Tonight, after dinner, you will be treated to Flamenco.
Day 3: Madrid
Day in Madrid. You will have a traditional Spanish breakfast, including chocolate con churros and then will take a walking tour of Old Madrid. You will see Puerta del Sol, kilometer zero (center of Spain), the Plaza Mayor, taverns built into caves just off the Plaza, and the Catedral de la Alumudena. A good portion of the afternoon will be spent in the Palacio Real, the largest palace in Europe. In the early evening you will have an option to watch a bullfight or to have some free time to explore Madrid.
Day 4: Toledo
After breakfast travel to the ancient heart of Castilian Spain, Toledo. In the late morning visit Saint Mary of Toledo, considered the greatest example of High Gothic architecture in Spain. It was modeled after Bourges in northern France. Later in the afternoon you will tour the Alcazar, the old Jewish center and the Church of Santo Tome where one of El Greco's most famous paintings, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz can be found. For dinner why not try wild Partridge or roasted peppers? You could also try Chucifrito (a lamb dish) or wild boar. After dinner walk along the Tagus, before returning to your hotel.
Day 5: Cordoba
Leave early, driving across mountains and through plains to Cordoba. Once the capital of the caliphate, it has important museums and sites that detail Roman and Islamic influences in Spain. Tour the Mezquita, once the second largest Mosque in the world, now the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin. Many architectural parts, pillars and arches, still display Islamic color schemes and patterns. Before leaving you will have an opportunity to tour the Medieval Synagogue. Then continue on to Granada, arriving in the early evening.
Day 6: Alhambra
These two words bring to mind cool fountains, sparkling pools, and the Alameda de la Alhambra (Alhambra Gardens). For many visitors the interior is a welcome relief from the Spanish sun. The Alhambra was the former residence of the Moorish kings and is the finest example of Islamic architecture in Western Europe. In the afternoon take the opportunity to see the Albaicin, once a Moorish enclave and then go on to the Generalife, the gardens of the Moorish elite. Enjoy dinner at one of the many tapas bars found in Granada and stay the night.
Day 7: Cadiz
In the morning traverse the Sierra Nevada's, before descending to the Mediterranean and driving along the coast road to Cadiz. The Rock of Gibraltar overshadows the journey and if it's a clear day your driver will point out the other pillar of Hercules, Jebel Musa in Morocco. Cadiz is the oldest continually inhabited city in Western Europe, having been founded by the Phoenicians in the 11th century BC. There is much to see in Cadiz, but it also has some of the best and underused beaches in Spain. You spend day 7 to day 9 relaxing in the sun. In the evening tour a local Sherry producer to learn about Sherry, sand then sample some with your meal.
Day 8: In Cadiz. Free time.
Day 9: Cadiz
In Cadiz. Free time on the beach for the morning. In the early afternoon bid a fond farewell to surf and sun and travel inland towards the principal city of Andalusia, Seville. We enter from the south along the Guadlaquivir River valley, past vineyards and olive trees. Seville is famous for the Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. It was built over a mosque, but retains some original elements in the entrance, the Patio de la Naranjos and the bell tower, which was a minaret. There is a massive tomb for Christopher Columbus within the church. The massive nave is simple and bare, while the aisles are covered with gold. A tour of the El Arenal will be guided.
Day 10: Alcazar
You will also have an opportunity to tour the Alcazar, one of the more impressive Spanish castles. Spend the remainder of the day touring Santa Cruz, the old Jewish ghetto, before having dinner in a Tapas bar. Why not try grilled meats or the Jamon Iberico (Ham) marinated in Jerez wine or Papas Alinas (cold potato salad with olive oil sprinkled over top and often full of seafood and vegetables). Before your meal try the sherry produced in nearby Jerez de la Frontera. You spend the night in Seville.
Day 11: Avila
Today we drive north to Avila. You cross the plains that Cervantes made famous in Don Quixote and may even see windmills, arriving in Avila late in the afternoon. Avila is famous for St. Teresa of Avila and as such is place for pilgrims. It still has a medieval city center, a Romanesque cathedral, the oldest Gothic cathedral in Spain, and untouched city walls. You will explore Avila and stay the night.
Day 12: Segovia
Take a short trip today to Segovia, one of the most spectacular cities in Spain. The Catedral de Segovia is the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, being completed in the 18th century. Segovia also has one of the greatest concentrations of Romanesque cathedrals in Europe. Streets are narrow and from almost everywhere you can see the Sierra Guadarrama that border the city to the south-east. Later in the afternoon take in the Alcacazar and then visit the famous Roman aqueduct nearby. Dinner will include the famous Black Truffles (mushrooms) the wines from Ribera del Duero, such as those from the Mano, Abadia Retuerta, or Vega Sicilia wineries.
Day 13: Madrid
In the morning you return to Madrid, making two stops, first at the Valley of the Fallen and then at El Escorial. Franco had a basilica, mausoleum, and the largest cross in the world constructed in the Cuelgamuros Valley as a tribute to Republican forces who died during the Spanish Civil War. Later stop at El Escorial, an Augustine monastery. Nearby is La Granjillo de la Fresneda, a royal hunting lodge. The two sites were the centres of religious and government power in 16th century Spain and it was from here that Philip II waged his war against Protestantism. Return to Madrid in the early afternoon and prepare for the trip home.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- 4 star Hotel
- Transportation
- Guide
- Museum fees
- Sherry tour fees
- Meals in Madrid the second evening.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Spain
Local Culture
Cultural Journey
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