15 Day Highlights Of Spain & Mediterranean Cruising

Prepare to be inspired. Depart today for your journey to Spain & Mediterranean cruising.

Welcome to Madrid! Upon arrival to the airport, you transfer will drive you to your centrally located hotel. The rest of the day is at leasure so settle in, relax and perhaps start exploring your sourrandings.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel before making your way to the starting point of your Royal Palace & Prado Museum tour. The starting point of this activity is an easy 800m walk or a short taxi ride from your hotel.

Skip the lines and dive right into the history of the beautiful Royal Palace which is approximately double the size than the Buckingham Palace. Built in an Italian baroque style, the palace is the former residence of the Spanish Monarchy from 1766 to 1931. Nowadays, it still is a great example of the establishment of Madrid as the capital of the kingdom. It is also where the most important receptions of the Spanish Crown are held: know the audiences, dinner parties and important agreements were celebrated here through history. Walk around the Armory Square. Marvel at the beautiful tapestries and elegant furniture. Follow your guide through the Grand Staircase, the Throne Room and the Banqueting Hall, among others. Once the guided tour finishes, board your bus to go to the Prado Museum.

Follow your guide on a guided tour of the Prado Museum as you admire exquisite paintings. Admire great European artworks by El Bosco, El Greco, Velazquez, Goya and Rubens. Discover the aim of the original building and why it changed to hold one of the most important art galleries in the world. The current exhibition holds more than 1.000 paintings of four different centuries.

Your guided tour concludes at the Prado Museum, which is approximately 2km away from your hotel. Feel free to continue exploring this marvellous city on your own. Perhaps ask your guide for directions to site that may be of your interest.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before making your way to the starting point of your guided tour of Toledo. Once again, the starting point of this activity is an easy 800m walk or a short taxi ride from your hotel.

Board your bus and leave the city towards Toledo. Dive into its history and discover a perfect mix of Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures. Wander around its Old Town, declared a World Heritage City in 1986. Once the capital of Spain, the more than 2000 years of existence have given the city a huge historical importance. Get to know the city fantastic heritage and discover how the coexistence of the three cultures throughout the centuries influenced its current architectural style.

Follow your guide through the city cobbled streets until you reach the Cathedral. Built on the remains of an Arab mosque, its construction started in the 13th century. Today, it is one of the most important Gothic Cathedrals of Spain. Admire the magnificent facade and the huge bell tower before continuing inside. Visit its interior and Sacristy, full of masterpieces of the former art museum it was. Amongst them, see fifteen paintings by El Greco.

At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to enjoy the city at your own pace before returning to Madrid.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Madrid train station in time to board your train to Barcelona. The train journey is unaccompanied and takes between 3 to 4 hours. Once in Barcelona your transfer will take you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring the Barcelona.

Today, make your way to the Sagrada Familia to join a guided tour of Sagrada Familia & Park Guell.
Skip the lines and enter the Sagrada Familia to start discovering the ultimate must-see landmark in Barcelona. Learn about the history and significance of Sagrada Familia by the hand of your local guide. Marvel at the astonishing interior, rich in symbolism inspired on natural wonders. Walk freely around the nave whilst listening to your guide’s explanations of Gaudi’s masterpiece. Take in all the details of the perfect fusion between architecture and spirituality. Tour the outside facades and wonder at the magnificence of details. 
Explore Sagrada Familia until your heart is content before being transferred to Park Guell. One of the most important works by Antoni Gaudí, the park is set in a unique area with amazing views over the city. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, discover how the original project of Gaudi changed to build the current public park. Walk around the Monumental area of the park following your guide. Wander at Gaudi’s genius and see how he created a naturalistic and organic style, achieving a perfect fusion between architecture and nature.
Your guided tour finishes at Park Guell and you are free to continue exploring Barcelona on your own.

Today is free for you to continue discovering Barcelona on your own.

Hotel check out is at 11 am and you will be able to leave your belonings at reception until it's time to depart this afternoon.

Perhaps take a stroll along La Rambla’s pedestrian boulevard to experience the city’s pure essence. Souvenir shops, street artists, flower stalls, pavement cafes and Catalan folk sardana dancers set a lively scene. Its marvellous centrepiece, La Catedral, dates from the 1200s – and its tower delivers sweeping views of medieval Barcelona.

With seven beaches spanning more than two miles of Mediterranean coastline, Barcelona’s harbour-front is known for some of the world’s best sun-seeking and on-the-sea adventures.

At approximately 5pm, your transferred will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the port in time to board your Mediterranean Cruise.

The Spanish island of Mallorca offers towering mountains and dramatic cliffs rising over clear, blue water – but its hidden gem is Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital and largest city, where you'll find quaint historic streets, Gothic castles and gastronomic delights. Cruise to Palma de Mallorca and check out one-of-a-kind Palma Cathedral: The 14th-century Gothic spires of exterior contrast the modernist interior designed by in the early 1900s by Gaudi. See the circular courtyard and Arab-inspired arches of Castell de Bellver, and take in the fresh scent of the miles of pine forest that surround it. Or hire bikes and pedal east to Palma Beach, where you can soak in the sun on the white sands and clear waves.

France's oldest city, Marseille blends ancient charm with Provencal beauty. In the morning, head to the fish market Quai des Belges, where trade has been going on for more than 2,600 years – stroll along the promenades and 18th-century warehouses, and grab a cafe au lait and a melon tarte from one of the cafes on the ground floor. Cruise to Provence and check out the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde: Built in the 19th century in a neo-Byzantine style, its golden statue of the Virgin and Child dominates the Marseille skyline. Then, take in the modern architecture and Mediterranean cultural artifacts at the MuCEM art museum, or see the craggy limestone cliffs of Calanques National Park, a half-hour drive outside the city.

The northern Italian port city of La Spezia, on the border of Liguria and Tuscany, offers an ideal gateway to two of the country's most famous cities: Pisa and Florence. Just one hour by car or train will bring you to Pisa, where you can check out the white-stone arches of the city's famous leaning tower and its sister-structure, the Pisa Cathedral. Or spend your day in Florence, about two hours away by train: Climb to the top of the famous Duomo ("dome"), the nickname for the Italian Gothic Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, for stunning 360-degree views of the city. Cruise to Florence to stroll through the San Lorenzo market with an espresso in hand and take in the smells of local spices and truffles as you people-watch.

Arrive to Rome at approximately 7am. With 28 centuries of celebrated history, Rome holds the edge when it comes to unrivalled adventures. The city that sparked the world’s largest empire is very much alive today with a jumble of ancient ruins, world-renowned art and vivacious street culture. Here you can live 'la dolce vita', recalling the glory days of Ancient Rome and twirling forks full of pasta in a trattoria. Ride past centuries-old basilicas in a three-wheeled Ape Calessino, or stand in awe of paintings by Italian masters at Villa Borghese. Whether it’s Vatican City’s spiritual allure, Trastevere’s backstreet charms or the Colosseum’s embattled legacy – The Eternal City endures with endless adventures. Depart Rome by 8pm

Arrive to Naples at approximately 7am. With a skyline defined by towering Mount Vesuvis, Naples is a bustling Italian city brimming with beauty. Experience its rich neoclassical architecture at sites like Gesu Nuovo Church, with its lavish interior adorned with detailed frescoes, statues and gold inlay. Go even deeper into history at the San Gennaro catacombs, where Naples' first bishops were buried in the second century AD. Walk along the Miglio Sacro ('Holy Mile') and people-watch your way through the cafes and shops of the Sanita district with a zuccherato (sweetened espresso) in hand. Jump onboard a Naples cruise and take the short bus ride to the base of Mount Vesuvius – it's an easy 20- to 30-minute hike will take you to the summit – and tour the ruins of Pompeii afterward. You  will continue selling by 7pm.

Spend the day on board your cruise making the most of the variety of onboard entertainment on offer.

Perhaps grab your bravest friend and challenge them to a test of speed. The ride of your life awaits on twin racers Typhoon℠ and Cyclone℠ – part of The Perfect Storm℠: the boldest water slides at sea. As you speed through, long, translucent stretches offer sea views as exhilarating as the ride itself.

Arrive to Barcelona by 5am before disembarking by 11am and making your way to the airport to connect with your ongoing flight home. Cruise staff will be able to help you arrange transport to the airport as needed.

Arrive home today after your amazing adventure, we hope you have been inspired.