12 Day Spanish Ring With Lisbon

Welcome to Madrid. Upon arrival at the airport you will be transferred to your hotel. Please, check the informative posters placed at the hotel reception area which have all the information about the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers. Towards the end of the day you will be transferred to the Egyptian Debod Temple, Plaza de Espana and Gran Via's vibrant district where you can dine at your preferred restaurant.

The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcala, Plaza de Colon and Plaza Mayor. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las Ventas Bullring is next - this is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the corridas at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure. At sunset you will be transferred to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international and Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice before returning to the hotel.

Today we leave for Aragon over the lands of Castile. In Zaragoza we stop briefly to see the Pilar Basilica. We continue to the Monastery of Poblet, surrounded by its walls in a beautiful site that is one of the best preserved medieval monasteries in the world. We then proceed to the Monastery of Montserrat where you will go up the mountain on a rack train to see its fantastic scenery. Wthe then continue to Barcelona, arriving in the late afternoon.

Itinerary Note. In the winter months, from November to March, due to the shorter days, we will not visit the Monastery of Poblet in order to reach Montserrat in the daylight.

Today we will explore Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Mediterranean Sea. Start off with an informative city tour. We will 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. We will also get the chance to see La Sagrada Familia Basilica, the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudi. Following this, we include the entry ticket to visit Poble Espanyol (meaning Spanish Village). This open air architectural museum is situated in one of the most emblematic areas of Barcelona. Enjoy the Spanish craftsmanship and discover the architectural styles, traditions and folklore of the different regions that make up Spain. You will then have some free time to explore the city at your own leisure. In the evening we will transfer to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Catalunya area for dinner before returning to the hotel in the late evening.

We will journey south along the Mediterranean, making a special stop in Peniscola, a small walled town on the shores of the sea. After a short introduction by our guide, you can make your own way through town, discovering its fishing port, the castle and beach at your own leisure. We will then travel to Valencia, where we will have time to have lunch. A local guide will take you on a tour of the city in the afternoon. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain where the modern blends with the historical. In the tour we will learn about its historic city centre, the fish market, the cathedral and the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences. In the evening we will transfer to the Plaza de Toros (bullring) area where you will have time to have dinner before returning to the hotel in the late evening.

Today we will continue our trip and head to Alicante. We will have time to take a walk in this charming, coastal city and, after lunch, we will make our way to the Murcia region, where we will visit Caravaca de la Cruz, a town considered by the Catholic Church as one of the five holy cities. Its church holds a relic of Christ’s Cross. We will also take a train ride up to its historic area, which we can explore, before we continue our trip along scenic roads on our way to Granada.

Today we enjoy a full day in Granada. In the evening we will visit captivating Medieval Moorish quarter and at night, you will have the option to attend a flamenco dance show in the traditional neighbourhood of Sacromonte.

Itinerary Note. Entrance to Alhambra is not included in the price of this trip and daily limits are strictly controlled by local authorities. If you want to visit this important landmark, we suggest book your tickets online on the heritage website www.alhambra.org.

Departing from Granada and travelling towards the Costa del Sol, we will arrive in Malaga and explore its historic city centre, with its cathedral and the Picasso Museum. After this we will continue along the coastal motorway with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. Stopping in Puerto Banus, Marbella, a pretty resort known as the playground of Europe’s rich and famous. In the afternoon we will continue through the hills until we reach Ronda. Finally, we will travel to Seville where we arrive sometime in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, a local expert will guide you on a scenic visit of Seville featuring the Cathedral and its famous Giralda (bell tower), the banks of the Guadalquivir River, popular neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana and the beautiful Plaza de Espana. After the visit, we will include a boat trip along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Right after, you will have free time to explore at your own leisure. At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (Calle Alfonso XII) where there are many different types of restaurants for you to choose from.

We will leave Seville on a stage of scenic beauty. Amidst hills and olive trees we will enter Extremadura. We will stop in JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS, this town belonged to the Knights Templar and is where Vasco Nunez de Balboa was born. We will then enter Portugal. Monsaraz, one of the most picturesque villages in Portugal with its walls, castle, great views and white and flowery streets. We will travel on to the city Evora, declared a World Heritage Site, with its white streets, its Renaissance palaces and its cathedral. After lunch we will also visit the impressive Chapel of Bones, built with 5000 skeletons. We then arrive in Lisbon towards by end of the day.

In the morning we will have a sightseeing tour with a local guide. We will visit the traditional neighbourhoods including the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the Fifteenth Century. We will have a look around the Monument of the Discoveries, Belem Tower, and the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy the free afternoon when you are free to explore the city at your own leisure. In the late afternoon, we will transfer to the Restauradores Square, a public square with plenty of restaurants and cafes. We suggest you ride the Elevador Da Gloria funicular that takes you to the viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto.

After breakfast and at the appropriate time, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your ongoing flight.