Small Group Tour of Southern Spain (English Only) Itinerary
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Palace Tours 12000 Biscayne Blvd. #107 Miami FL 33181 USA 800-724-5120 / 786-408-0610 Call Us 1-800-724-5120 Small Group Tour of Southern Spain (English Only) Embark with us on a beautiful tour through Andalusia and Madrid. In 7 days you will visit historic cities like Madrid, Cordoba and Sevilla. In the first days you will stay at a hotel in Madrid exploring the capital of Spain in guided tours and on your own. Another destination of this great tour is Cordoba, where you will visit the scenario of Don Quixote, Mosque and the Jewish Quarter. In the next couple days you will experience the beauty of Spain with visiting Granada and Toledo. Come with us and you don't have to stand in line to see all those historic sights. You will be aloud to bypass the crowd of tourists. **All tours will be English Speaking Only Highlights: Prado art museum in Madrid Mosque of Cordoba Giralda tower in Seville Alhambra and Gardens of Generalife Panoramic tour of Toledo Itinerary Day 1 - Monday: Arrival in Madrid Arrive in Madrid and enjoy a welcome drink and orientation session at the hotel this evening . Accommodation at the hotel. Overnight in Madrid. Day 2 - Tuesday: Panaromic tour of Madrid Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of Madrid; find the medieval origins of the city, like the Arabic fortress, at the Barrio de la Morería, famous for its historical buildings. Drive through the courtesan district of the Hapsburgs characterized by Phillip II and its Renaissance and Baroque style buildings, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa; the Madrid of the Bourbons and the complex town planning schemes of Charles III, the interior of the Royal Palace, Cibeles and Neptuno Fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá. Admire the XIX C. works such as Prado Museum. The contemporary Madrid with areas such as Gran Vía, Castellana, the district of Salamanca, Plaza Castilla and Parque del Oeste, as well as commercial and financial areas of Modern Madrid, the emblematic Las Ventas Bullring and the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. Balance of the day free to continue exploring the wonders that the city has to offer. Overnight in Madrid. Day 3 - Wednesday: Visit Cordoba - A perfect blend of world cultures Breakfast at the hotel. 08:30 Pick up from your hotel and departure drive along La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land. Brief stop at typical site in Puerto Lapice. Cross through the natural border of “Despeñaperros” and get into Andalusia, a region for itself that shows an enormous heritage from a splendorous past. Reach Cordoba. Impressive tour of its Mosque and other sites that will ease our mind and spirit strolling through its narrow winding streets of the Jewish Quarter. In the afternoon, after a short two hours ride reach Seville. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel. Overnight in Seville. Small Group Tour of Southern Spain (English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 1/5 Day 4 - Thursday: Sightseeing of Seville Breakfast at the hotel. Morning Monumental and Panoramic city tour: the interior of the Cathedral (the second largest in the Catholic world after St. Peters in Rome), Santa Cruz quarter (a natural scenario of “Carmen” as well as a precisely where the myth of “Don Juan” developed), Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España. Afternoon at leisure for you to discover exclusive views, specific flavours of this active full of light city. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel. Optional Flamenco tour. Overnight in Seville. Day 5 - Friday: Visit the Breathtaking Granada After breakfast at the hotel drive east through the Caliphate road to the heart of Andalusia observing an endless number of olive trees on the way to Granada and its incredible and amazing monumental environment, last stronghold of the Moorish Kingdoms up to 1492. Visit the world famous Alhambra Complex and Generalife Gardensthat have inspired several authors with its sound and sights, such as the “Tales of the Alhambra” by W. Irving. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel. Optional Gipsy Flamenco show at Sacromonte quarter. Overnight in Granada. Day 6 - Saturday: Travel to Madrid with a stop in Toledo Breakfast at the hotel. Drive northward where it emerges, toward the sky of Castilla and surrounded by the Tagus River, the impressive Imperial city of Toledo –World Heritage City- where the three cultures Christians, Moorish and Jewish, have lived together. Resume of the Spanish art, history and spirituality the whole town is a National Monument. Short guided tour of this historical old town throught its narrow streets. Then proceed with a visit to a famous “Damasquinado” (gold and silver inlaying in iron) factory. Continue to Madrid. Accommodation at the hotel. Overnight in Madrid. Day 7 - End of Tour in Madrid Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and get ready to check out. Your tour ends today upon checkout. We can assist you with your transfer to the airport or add some more nights to your hotel and enjoy Madrid or maybe join another tour that will let you enjoy Spain a little bit longer. Destination Information Cordoba Córdoba (also Cordova) is a city in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. A Iberian and Roman city in ancient times, in the Middle Ages it was a capital of a Islamic caliphate and one of the largest cities in the world. Today a moderately-sized modern city, the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Córdoba governed almost all of the Iberian Peninsula. One such masterpiece is the Great Mosque of Córdoba, which contains columns that date back to the Roman and Visigothic periods, primarily constructed during the Umayyad period (its construction started in 784). It was converted into a Cathedral after the Reconquista. Tourism is especially intense in Córdoba during May because of the weather and as this month hosts three very popular festivals. Granada Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, yet only one hour from the Mediterranean coast, the Costa Tropical. The Alhambra, a Moorish citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is one of the most famous items of the Islamic historical legacy that makes Granada a hot spot among cultural and tourist cities in Spain. Granada is also well-known within Spain due to the prestigious University of Granada and, nowadays, vibrant night-life. Small Group Tour of Southern Spain (English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 2/5 Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The culture of Madrid was dominated by its religious and royal history, evident by enormous, monolithic cathedrals and churches, although nowadays Madrid is just as much a cosmopolitan city as Berlin or London, full of new architecture, life style and nightlife. Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, and is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is the "Golden Triangle of Art," located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three museums, the Prado Museum, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofia Museum, which is home to Pablo Picasso's Guernica. Seville Seville is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain, and capital of Andalusia. The Cathedral of Seville is now arguably the largest church in the world when compared using the measurement of volume, and is also the final resting place of the remains of Christopher Columbus. La Giralda is a large and beautiful minaret tower, originally intended for the chief mosque, but now is the magnificent bell tower of the Cathedral and prominent symbol of Seville. The Real Alcázar is a beautiful palace, built in Mudéjar (Moorish) style in the 14th century. With its myriad of rooms, extravagant architecture, lavish gardens with many courtyards, ponds and secrets to be explored, it is a fascinating place to visit. Toledo An often overlooked gem, Toledo sits majestically above the the Tagus River in central Spain. The history of Toledo dates back to Roman occupation (Toletum) circa 192BC, followed by Visigothic rule, Muslim rule and finally the Reconquest of Toledo in 1085AD. Toledo was the capital of the Spanish empire until the mid 1500's when the royal court moved to Madrid. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and place of coexistence of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures. Don't miss the centerpiece of Toledo, its Cathedral, and the baroque Transparente behind the main altar. The Cathedral also has a great art gallery with works by Raphael, Rubens, Goya, Titian, and one of El Greco's major works, The Disrobing of Christ. Price Chart **Extra night available Pre or Post Tour in Madrid, please ask for details** The tour includes: Private Coach for all services per itinerary English speaking tour escort English speaking local guide half day in: Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo Entrance fees for Madrid-Royal Palace, Cordoba-Mosque, Seville-Cathedral, Granada-Alhambra Palace and Generalife gardens, Toledo-St. Tome Church 6 nights in 4* hotels 6 buffet breakfast 3 dinners at hotels including wine and mineral water 1 Welcome Drink 1 headset (Bluetooth technology for a perfect audition during guides explanations) Luggage porters at hotels (1 piece per passenger) The tour does not include: Small Group Tour of Southern Spain (English Only)(© www.palacetours.com) 3/5 Transfer to/from airport (If needed, we can provide this service at an additional cost) Travel insurance or visa fees Items of a personal nature, such as laundry and souvenirs Any additional hotel accommodations pre- or post-tour Any items not specifically mentioned as "included" Accommodation Carmen Hotel , Granada (4 -Star) C/ Acera De Darro 62Granada 18005, Spain Guests can enjoy an array of amenities including a babysitting service (on request) and a seasonl outdoor swimming pool, open only during summer months.