Spain

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Departures available for 2020

Day One-Welcome to Spain and its capital, Madrid! After you are checked in and have a short rest join, us for an afternoon walking tour of Madrid. We will see the sites that Madrid has to offer in our 2 + hour tour including the Puerta del Sol, Madrid’s lively square, and the Plaza Mayor- a historic cobbled-stoned square. We will end our walk in the Royal Botanical gardens and you may linger there if you wish.

Join us later in the evening as we enjoy a welcome drink and introductions before walking to dinner together. Walking tour of central Madrid/ visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens/ Welcome drink/ Dinner together/ Overnight central Madrid.

Day Two-After a leisurely breakfast you can take in some of the Madrid sites you have not seen yet, the stadium at Santiago Bernabéu-(home of soccer team Real Madrid) or the Reina Sofia Art Centre (know for its Guernica collection) or even take in the El Rastro Flea Markets which is open today.

Either way join us late morning for our departure by fast train to Toledo (Holy!), once Spain’s capital and now considered a national monument.

Here we will visit the Toledo’s Cathedral dating from 1226 and filled with art treasures including works by El Greco. We are then onto the beautifully built town hall, and the Plaza de Zocodover. Later, you will have time to explore on your own before we catch our train back to Madrid.

Join us in the late evening for our Tapas tour (as dinner) as we do Madrid like a local! Breakfast/ High-speed train to and from Toledo/ walking tour of Toledo/ Tapas tour /Overnight Madrid /UNESCO World Heritage Site-The City of Toledo

Day Three -This morning we have our tour of Madrid’s Prado museum-noted as one of the world's premier museums with works by Velazquez, de Goya & El Greco among others. You can catch a bite nearby before we leave for high-speed train for Seville.

Join us in the evening as we do an orientation walk of this historic city as we give you recommendations for dinner on your own. Before dinner join us for a celebratory drink to traveling together again! We will imbibe some wonderful Cava of Spain (Champagne).

Breakfast/ Prado Museum/ High speed train tickets/ Orientation walk of Seville/ Cava drink/ Overnight Seville /UNESCO World Heritage Site-Seville

Day Four - Seville-once a Roman city, is now the home of three UNESCO World Heritage sites-the Cathedral (includes the tomb of Christopher Columbus), Alcázar(with its splendid gardens) and the Archivo de India. We will take our time to explore each one of these sites.

The afternoon is yours- maybe a visit to the Flamenco Museum, take in a bullfight or go and see some of the best shopping streets around. Join us in the evening as we taste some of the wines and sherries known throughout Spain. In the evening we will take in a flamenco dancing demonstration and afterwards, have dinner together.

Breakfast/ Walking Tour of Seville/flamenco dancing demonstration/Dinner together/ UNESCO World Heritage Site-Seville/ Overnight Seville

Day Five - We take to the road today as we wind through the the white hill towns of Andalucia. We will take our time as we visit the cliff hugging village of Ronda.

Lunch is at any one of the cafes in town and after we continue our journey. We are off to the Cueva de la Pileta to have a close up look at the Neolithic cave paintings that line this site, some 25,000 years old.

We will arrive in Granada in the afternoon in time for check in and an orientation walk around town before dinner together.

Breakfast/ Travel the white hill towns/ Tour of Ronda/ Neolithic Cave at Pileta/ Orientation walk of Granada/ UNESCO World Heritage Site-Granada/ Overnight Granada

Day Six- You can have a leisurely morning and afterwards check out the Albayzin-the old moorish quarter, the Corral del Carbon, and the cathedral downtown.

Be ready in the afternoon as we take our tour of the Alhambra fortress, the last refuge of the Moorish Kings of Spain. Inside the walls of this site dating from the 13th and 14th centuries are the Palacios Nazaries, the Alcazaba Fort and the Generalife Gardens. Our tickets allows access to each site and we will take our time to see what interests us.

The evening is yours to enjoy -maybe you would like to take a hammam at al Andalus in the old Arab baths? Dinner on your own with recommendations from us.

Breakfast/ Entrance fees into the Alhambra fortress and the Palace, fort and gardens/ UNESCO World Heritage Site-Granada/ Overnight Granada

Day Seven- Today we are off to Northern Spain. Our flight takes us outside of Barcelona and then by bus to the Catalan area of Priorat (Priorato), noted for some of the best wines that Spain has to offer.

As we settle into our hotel -an 18th century casa -we will offer a wine tasting on the terrace of the hotel before a sumptuous dinner together featuring local specialties. Breakfast/ Flight to Barcelona/ transfer to Priorat/Priorat wine region/wine tasting/ dinner together/ overnight Priorat

Day Eight- We will spend the day touring the area wineries-home to some of Spain’s finest vintages. We have a local wine connoisseur that will take us out and about and visit local wineries where we can sample to our hearts content.

We will have a winery picnic lunch together as we tour the area. The afternoon can be spent lounging on the hotel terrace or walking through the small village. Either way dinner is on your own with plenty of recommendations from us. Breakfast/Wine region tour with expert/wine tasting/ picnic lunch/ overnight Priorat.

Day Nine- We leave for Barcelona today, staying in the region of Catalunya. After dropping our bags off at our hotel you can take a break at a nearby tapas place for lunch. Join us in the afternoon as we take our Barcelona walking tour, the Las Ramblas and the heart of the old city of Barcelona.

We will end our tour near the port where you can continue onto Montjuic for the Joan Miro museum or Barcenoletta to the beach. Join us for dinner together this evening. Breakfast/ Bus ride to Barcelona/Tour of Barcelona/ Dinner together/ Overnight Barcelona.

Day Ten- This morning we head to Park Guell a public park designed by Antoni Gaudi in the hills above Barcelona. Parc Guell is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered to one of Gaudi's most important works. Then we are off to visit another of Gaudi's monuments, La Sagrada Familia. Here we will have a tour that will explain the on-going work of Gaudi's ambitious plan. Lunch is on your own and the afternoon is the time to hit the Picasso Museum, the nearby beach or take a tour of Camp Nou Stadium (home of FC Barcelona). Either way we will be on hand to facilitate your choices.
Breakfast/ Walking tour of Barcelona including entrance fees to the sites/ UNESCO World Heritage Site-Parc Guell/La Sagrada Familia/ Overnight Barcelona

Day Eleven- We are off to the coast of Spain to the sleepy town of Cadaques along the Catalan coast . On the Costa Brava, our hotel has sea views to enjoy. Cadaques used to be a fishing village until it was discovered by artists such as Magritte, Duchamp- even Salvador Dali was raised nearby. Here is where we will unwind and experience seaside Spain as it is meant to be.

The afternoon is yours to swim, lay on the beach or grab a book and lounge on your balcony. Join us for dinner. Breakfast/ Shuttle to the coast/ Costa Brava/ Dinner together/ Overnight Cadaques.

Day Twelve- You can take the 20 minute walk to the Salvador Dali house (Casa Museu Salvador) or sit at a seaside cafe and enjoy your day. As soon as you have lounged enough, join us for a wine taste testing as we revisit the wines of some of the regions we have just passed through. Farewell dinner together.
Breakfast/ Costa Brava/ Dinner together/ Overnight Cadaques.

Day Thirteen-Our tour ends today at the sea. Take your time checking out. From here you can head back to Barcelona for your return stateside or further your adventure to other parts of Spain such as Pamplona and Bilbao-or even farther afield to Lisbon, Portugal-they are are all close! We will be on hand to help facilitate your further travels. We bid you Buen Viaje-Have a good trip-in Spanish.
Breakfast.

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What do you get with this tour?
The towns of
Madrid
Toledo
Seville
Granada
Ronda
Priorat Wine Region
Barcelona
Cadaques on the Costa Brava
Walking Tour of Madrid
+Entrance into the Royal Botanical Gardens
+Entrance into Prado Museum
Walking Tour of Toledo
+Fast train there and back
+Visit to the Cathedral of Toledo
High Speed Train to Seville
Walking Tour of Seville
+Including Entrance to 3 UNESCO Sites
+Flamenco Dancing Demo
Private Bus Tour of The White Hill Towns of Andalusia
+The Village of Ronda
+Entrance to Pileta Neolithic Cave Paintings
Walking Tour of Granada
+Entrance to Alhambra Fortress
+Entrance to Palacios Nazaries
+Entrance to Generalife Gardens
+Entrance to Alcazaba Fort
Flight from Grenada to Barcelona
Wine Region of Northern Spain-Priorat
+Converted 18th Century Village Casa as our Hotel
+Multiple Wineries with Wine Tastings
+Winery Lunch
Transfer to Barcelona
Walking Tour of Barcelona
+Las Ramblas
+Barri Gotic
+Entrance to Parc Guell
+Entrance to Sagrada Familia
Transfer to Cadaques and the Costa Brava
+Wine Tasting Re-cap
Carefully Selected Hotels Centrally Located
Two Nights in Each Hotel-less packing/unpacking
Welcome Drink
Twelve Full Breakfasts
One Winery Picnic Lunch
One Tapas Dinner with Wine
Six Full Multi-Course Dinners with Wine
Wine & Sherry Tastings
Sleepy sea-side villages
Interaction with the locals
Comfortable Transportation
Six UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Swimming in the Mediterranean
Attention to Detail
Cava sampling (Spanish Champagne)
Two Tour Leaders with 18 Years Experience
A Carefully Selected Mix of Touring and Time on Your Own

What is your responsibility?
Airfare to and from the start and end of our tour.
Any traveling expenses that you may incur including document fees, passport fees and trip insurance.

Our tour starts in Madrid and ends near Barcelona*
Transportation to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour.

*We are here to help guide you on securing your airline tickets. If you find a much cheaper ticket in and out of one of the cities above-keep in mind they are connected by a 2 hour fast train. It might be worth to book your arrival and return in the same city and pay the fare for the train. When the time comes for booking your tickets we will be on hand to advise you.

This tour is limited to 14 participants.
Tour Price-
14 Participants-$TBD U.S.D.
12 Participants-$TBD U.S.D.
10 Participants-$TBD U.S.D

Tour price includes all of the itineraries/tours/transportation/ & Entrance fees as described above.
A deposit of $1000 U.S.D. is due to secure your place on this tour.
The remaining balance (based upon the number of participants) is due by TBA

Who are your leaders?

Manolis Hajifotiou

A native of Greece, Manolis has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. Besides traveling, his passion is playing his guitar and creating his own music. He also likes to keep up with the stone house he shares with his wife, Patricia, especially trimming their olive trees. He looks forward to showing you his favorite places and making sure you feel right at home.

Patricia Hajifotiou

A native of the U.S.A., Patricia has been leading tours in Europe for 21 years. She lives on the island of Evia, Greece, with her husband Manolis. When she is not on tour, she lives off the grid in a rock house, powered by the wind and sun. There she likes to spend her time digging in the garden. She looks forward to showing you the places she likes the best.

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