| Easy Pace Spain & Portugal - Itinerary
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DAY 1 – SAT – UK –
LISBON
Welcome to Portugal!
After your scheduled flight to Lisbon airport there are complimentary
transfers to the tour hotel at 9.30, 11.30, 13.30 & 15.30
hours. Take time to relax or explore before joining your fellow
travellers for a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Marriott. (D). |
DAY
8 – SAT – MADRID SIGHTSEEING
A guided tour takes you along the leafy avenues of the city, seeing the Plaza España with its Cervantes Monument, the grandiose Cibeles Fountain and Puerta del Sol. See also the Parliament and Royal Palace before a Highlight visit to the magnificent Prado museum, one of the great art galleries of Europe. This afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure. (BB) |
DAY 2 – SUN – LISBON
SIGHTSEEING
A guided tour takes you
along the avenues of the Lower Town and across the tree-shaded
squares. Pass beneath hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro
do Paco, the finest square in the city. Visit Jeronimos Monastery
with its superbly ornate cloister. Nearby, see the modern
‘Monument to the Discoveries’ and ancient Belem Tower. The
afternoon is at leisure. Why not consider spending the evening
enjoying dinner to the haunting sound of ‘Fado’ music? (BB) |
DAY
9 – SUN – MADRID AT LEISURE
Explore the city at your own pace. There is also an optional excursion into the Guadarrama Mountains to visit the austere Escorial Palace and the amazing Valley of the Fallen.
(BB) |
DAY
3 – MON – LISBON AT LEISURE
The day is free for
you to explore the Portuguese capital at your own pace. Take
the funicular up to the steep alleyways of the Old Town, explore
the terraces of the Alfama district or join an optional tour
to Fatima and Obidos. (BB) |
DAY
10 – MON – MADRID - BARCELONA
Bid farewell to Madrid
and travel through Castille, where the legendary Don Quixote
‘tilted at windmills’. Reach the Ebro River at Zaragosa where
the Virgin is said to have appeared to St James the Apostle.
Enter Catalunya, a land that retains its own distinctive language
and traditions, and stay in the vibrant Mediterranean port
of Barcelona. Hotel: 987 Barcelona. (BB) |
DAY
4 – TUE – LISBON - SEVILLE
Travel over the modern
Tagus Bridge and cross the wide Alentejo plateau to the Spanish
border. Continue through the green slopes of the Sierra Morena
to Seville, the exquisite capital of Andalusia and the setting
for the opera Carmen. This evening, enjoy a Highlight Dinner
and entertainment featuring a fiery Flamenco show. Hotel:
Barcelo Gran Hotel Renacimiento. (BB,HD) |
DAY
11 – TUE – BARCELONA SIGHTSEEING
A local guide introduces
you to the Gothic Quarter where, among the narrow streets,
you visit the ancient Cathedral. In complete contrast, drive
out to the Eixample District to see some of Gaudi’s extraordinary
architecture, including the unfinished Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
In the afternoon, stroll along the leafy Ramblas with its
market stalls and buskers, or take an optional excursion to
the ancient Monastery of Montserrat, dedicated to the ‘Black
Madonna’. (BB) |
DAY 5 – WED – SEVILLE
SIGHTSEEING
A sightseeing tour introduces
the immense 15th century cathedral, burial place of Christopher
Columbus, the Alcazar and the slender Giralda Tower. Tour
the Santa Cruz Quarter, with its flower-decked wrought iron
balconies, before taking time to relax or explore on your
own. Consider visiting Maria Luisa park with its archeological
museum. (BB) |
DAY
12 – WED – BARCELONA AT LEISURE
The day is set aside
for you to explore this amazing city at your leisure: visit
shops, stroll the streets of the Spanish Village or visit
the Bullfighters’ museum. As night falls, enjoy a Highlight
Catalan dinner at a local restaurant. (BB,HD) |
DAY
6 – THUR – SEVILLE AT LEISURE
The day is reserved
for relaxing, shopping or enjoying an optional day trip
to the sandy beaches of Portugal’s Algarve region. (BB) |
DAY
13 – THUR – BARCELONA - UK
The tour ends after
breakfast with transfers to the airport at 08.30 & 11.00
hours. (BB) |
DAY
7 – FRI – SEVILLE - MADRID
Drive along the Guadalquivir valley to the perfectly
preserved Moorish city of Cordoba. See the famous 2000-year-old bridge before a guided visit to the
magnificent Mezquita, an 8th century mosque with a Christian church built inside it. Cross the Sierra
Morena mountains and the plains of La Mancha to Madrid. Tonight, you and your fellow travellers are
offered a choice of restaurants for your dining pleasure. Hotel: NH Alcala. (BB,DA) |
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