ob dylan speechtt Best of Spain — Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Valencia, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Avila, Santiago de Compostela — TOUR DETAILS Best of Spain Highlights • Price: $6,795 USD • Madrid • Discounts: • Royal Site of San Lorenze de El Escorial • 5% - Returning Volant Customer • Roman Aqueduct of Segovia • El Greco Museum • Duration: 30 days • Flamenco Performance at El Cardenal • Date: March-October • Seville Cathedral • Difficulty: Easy • Rock of Gibraltar • St. Michael's Cave Inclusions • Gibralfaro Castle • All accommodations (2-3 star) • Plaza de Toros • All meals • Cave of Nerja • Transportation throughout tour • Alhambra & Albaicin • Airport transfers • Cazorla Nature Park • City of Arts and Sciences • Personal guide • Sagrada Familia • Guggenheim Museum Exclusions • Santillana del Mar • International airfare (to Airport) • Picos de Europa • Entrance fees to museums and other attractions • Santiago de Compostela not listed in ‘Inclusions’ • Galician Coast • Personal items: Laundry, shopping, etc. • Castle of La Mota • Traveler’s insurance • Wall of Avila ITINERARY Best of Spain - 30 Days / 29 Nights Itinerary - DAY ACTIVITY LOCATION - MEALS • International Flight Madrid 1 • Arrive: Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) • Transfer to hotel and enjoy a warm welcome dinner Welcome Dinner & Orientation Madrid • Full day walking tour of Madrid highlights; Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Buen Retiro Park, Royal 2 Palace of Madrid, Palacio de Cibeles, Prado National Museum & Paseo del Prado Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Train ride to El Escorial (90m) El Escorial - Madrid • Tour the Royal Site of San Lorenze de El Escorial 3 • Continue to Valle de los Caidos Memorial Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Return to Madrid (90m) • Train ride to Segovia (2hrs) Segovia - Madrid 4 • Tour Segovian highlights; Old Town, Alcazar, Cathedral & Aqueduct of Segovia • Return to Madrid (2hrs) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Train ride to Toledo (30m) Toledo • Tour Toledo highlights; Toledo Cathedral, Alcazar, Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, Puente 5 de Bisagra, Old Town & El Greco Museum Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Relaxed evening or live music opportunities at the Circula de Arte of El Ultimo • Train ride to Cordoba (3hrs) Cordoba 6 • Tour Cordoba highlights; Great Mosque of Cordoba, Roman Bridge & the Plaz de las Tendillas • Evening Flamenco performance at El Cardenal Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Train ride to Seville (45m) Seville 7 • Tour Seville highlights; Seville Cathedral & the Alcazar of Seville • Evening stroll along the Guadalquivir River Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Seville • Continue exploring Seville 8 • Visit the University, Plaza de Espana, Golden Tower and the Macarena Basilica Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Transfer to Gibraltar in private vehicle (2hrs) Gibraltar - Malaga 9 • Summit the Rock of Gibraltar, explore St. Michael's Cave, visit the mosque at Europa Point • Continue to Malaga (1hr40m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Full day sightseeing tour of Malaga Malaga 10 • Visit Gibralfaro Castle & Malaga's Cathedral • Stroll along the turquoise waters of Costa del Sol Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Day trip to Ronda (90m) Ronda - Malaga 11 • Tour the oldest bullring in Spain, the Arab Baths, Mondragon Palace & Cuenca Gardens • Return to Malaga (90m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Transfer to Nerja (45m) Nerja - Granada • Tour the Cave of Nerja, hike trough the Almijarra Natural Park, view the gran vistas at the Cliffs of 12 Maro-Cerro Gordo Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Continue to Granada (1hr) Granada • Full day sightseeing tour of Granada 13 • Visit Alhambra, Albaicin and Mirador de San Nicolas Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ITINERARY DAY ACTIVITY LOCATION - MEALS • Scenic road trip to Cazorla Nature Park Cazorla Nature Park - Valencia 14 • Explore the stunning canyons, long olive groves and tantalizing lakes • Continue to Valencia (3.5hrs) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Valencia • Full day walking tour of Valencia's highlights; Valencia Cathedral, San Juan del Hospital Church, 15 Plaza de la Virgen, Church of San Nicolas & the City of Arts and Sciences Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Barcelona • Train ride to Barcelona (5.5hrs) 16 • Transfer to hotel and enjoy a relaxed evening Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Barcelona • Full day walking tour of Barcelona 17 • Explore gothic Quarter, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, La Rambla, and the Montjuic Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Barcelona • Continue discovering the wonders of Barcelona 18 • Visit the Barcelona Cathedral and the Barceloneta Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Train ride to Zaragoza (2hrs) Zaragoza - Pamplona - • Tour the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar, La Seo del Salvador & the Palacio de la Aljaferia San Sebastian 19 • Continue to Pamplona (2hrs) • Visit the Plaza del Castillo, Cathedral & the Ciudadela de Pamplona Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Continue to San Sebastian (1hr) • Enjoy a full day in San Sebastian San Sebastian 20 • Explore La Cocha, Urgull Hill, Monte Igeldo Mountains, Bay of Biscay, Buen Pastor Cathedral, Plaza de Guipuzkoa, Iglesia de Santa Maria del Coro & Old Town Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Transfer to Bilbao (90m) Bilbao - Santander 21 • Tour Bilbao highlights; Guggenheim Museum & Basque Coast • Continue to Santander (90m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Santander • Full day in Santander 22 • Explore the local beaches,palace, lighthouse & gorgeous Peninsula of Magdalena Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Day trip to Santillana del Mar (30m) Santillana del Mar - Santander 23 • Tour the Plaza de Ramon Pelayo, Collegiate Church of Santillana del Mar, Cave of Altamira • Return to Santander (30m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Picos de Europa - Oviedo • Road trip to Covadonga and Picos de Europa National Park (1hr40m) 24 • Continue to Oviedo (1hr10m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Santiago de Compostela • Scenic road trip to Santiago de Compostela (3hrs) 25 • Half day walking tour of local highlights; Cathedral, Alameda Park & Old Town Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Santiago de Compostela - • Day trip to Galician Coast Galician Coast 26 • Return to Santiago de Compostela Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Transfer to Leon (3.5hrs) Leon - Valladolid 27 • Tour the Leon Cathedral, Basilica de San Isidora, Palacio Episcopal & the Arco de la Carcel • Continue to Valladolid and tour the Spanish Gothic San Pablo Church (2hrs) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner ITINERARY DAY ACTIVITY LOCATION - MEALS • Transfer to Medina del Campo (30m) Castillo de Medina - Salamanca 28 • Tour the Castle of La Mota • Continue to Salamanca (1hr) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Transfer to Avila (1hr) Avila - Madrid 29 • Tour the Avila Cathedral & the Wall of Avila • Continue to Madrid (90m) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Madrid 30 • Depart: Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) Breakfast TOUR MAP Palace of Versailles Rennes Fontainebleau Le Mans Angers Orléans NORTH Loire Valley Puy du Fou Tours ATLANTIC OCEAN Bay of FRANCE Biscay Picos de Europa Santillana del Mar Santiago de Bordeaux G a l i c i a Compostela Santander Oviedo C o r d i l l e r a C a n t a b r i c a San Sebastián Toulouse Nîmes León Bilbao Montpellier Pyrénées National Park Porto B a s q u e Burgos Pamplona P y r e n e e s ANDORRA Gulf of Guimarãres Valladolid Lion Salamanca Castillo de Medina Segovia Zaragonza Sintra Coimbra Ávila Tomar S i e r r a d e G r e d Madrido s Barcelona El Escorial PORTUGAL Cáceres Toledo SPAIN Menorca Évora Merida Buñol Balearic Sea Lisbon Albacete Valencia Serra de S i e r r a M o r e n a Monchique S i e r r a Mallorca A r a c e n a Ibiza Seville Cordoba Cazorla Natural Park Granada Mediterranean Sea Cadiz Ronda S i e r r a N e v a d a NORTH Cartagena ATLANTIC Málaga Nerja Algiers OCEAN Rock of Tangier Gibraltar Alboran Sea Fes Rabat ALGERIA Casablanca V MOROCCO V O L A N T ITINERARY DAY 1: BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY! Board your overnight flight to Madrid-Barajas Airport(MAD) - not included. Your Volant guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner and a leisurely evening. DAY 2: WELCOME TO MADRID Enjoy a full day walking tour of Madrid's highlights. Begin in the heart of this Spanish capital at Puerta del Sol. Heads towards Plaza Mayor to experience its iconic San Miguel Market. Wander through the green gardens at Buen Retiro Park. Tour the Royal Palace of Madrid, Palacio de Cibeles and the Prado National Museum to better grasp the history and culture of this city. Watch as the sun sets and locals emerge to celebrate life with great food, drink, music and company. Revel in the the sizzling nightlife scene and stroll along the iconic Paseo del Prado. ITINERARY DAY 3: MADRID - EL ESCORIAL Climb aboard the Cercania train and begin your half day trip to the Royal Site of San Lorenze de El Escorial. Also referred to as the historical residence of the King of Spain, this site functions as a monastery, basilica, royal palace, pantheon, library, museum, university and hospital. Continue to Valle de los Caidos to discover the controversy and ancient charm of this memorial; honoring those who fell fighting during the Spanish Civil War. In the afternoon return to Madrid to further explore this vibrant and bustling capital. DAY 4: MADRID - SEGOVIA Rise early and embark on today's day trip to Segovia. Enjoy a half day sightseeing tour of Segovian highlights. Wander through Old Town and explore the impressively preserved Roman aqueduct built in 50 A.D. Tour the remarkable Alcazar (Royal Palace) and the Segovia Cathedral. Continue to the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso and explore the Versailles inspired gardens and palace. In the afternoon return to Madrid. ITINERARY DAY 5: TOLEDO Leaving Madrid in the dust for the time being, continue onward to Toledo. A city built on the coexistence of Christian, Muslin and Jewish cultures, Toledo is home to an impressive list of cultural and monumental heritage. Be sure to explore the Toledo Cathedral, Alcazar, Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes and the Puente de Bisagra. For those who may be interested Toledo is also the location of El Greco Museum.