Duration
8 Days
Physical rate
Moderate
Starting city
Madrid
Available
April 2023 / March 2024
Detailed day by day description
Introduction
Dear Traveler: thank you for choosing us to perform this Tour! We hope you enjoy your trip.
Here we give you a guidance on their tour with the information that we believe may be of your interest. The information is indicative, may exist variations on designated hours.
TRANSFER from the airport, if you have it included or purchasing. Our transfer will be waiting for you with a poster on behalf of Europamundo or its name to the output of the custom (after collecting your luggage)..
Remember to inform us by phone if you lost your connection flight or expected delay of their arrival, in your VOUCHER figure the phone of the transfer.
IMPORTANT: If you had additional nights upon arrival the hotel will have your reservation, but his travel guide normally will not be until the night before the start of the tour.
Countryside: Beautiful green countryside and views over the Rías Bajas.
NB: Remember that we will be taking a boat trip. Have you got warm clothing for the crossing?
08.00hrs.- Oporto -departure.
09.00 hrs. - in the city of Braga is the sanctuary of Bom Jesus ; we include a trip on the oldest funicular in the world... Moved only with water, after a visit to the sanctuary, we suggest walking down the beautiful staircase admiring the views and the sanctuary gardens.
10:15 hrs Bom Jesus -departure. We go into to Galicia, with views over the Galician estuaries. We will see the Ría de Arosa.
13.00 hrs (12.00 hrs in Portugal) - Cambados - Arrival. A historic maritime town. We include a glass bottomed boat trip along the Ría de Arosa estuary. We will be told how mussels are grown. On the boat, we include wine tasting and mussels. Time afterwards to stroll in Cambados and have lunch.
16.00 hrs -Cambados. - Departure.
16.45 hrs -Santiago de Compostela. - Arrival. We include a panoramic tour of the city with a local guide. They will tell us how St James brought pilgrims over the centuries, we will stroll through the mediaeval streets in the centre and admire the cathedral.
NB: On some dates (particularly on the festivity of Santiago, or St James) our groups may be accommodated in a town near Santiago.
Countryside: Attractive green scenery, villages. Way of St. James. Spectacular mountain scenery crossing the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range.
08.00 hrs. - Santiago -departure. Following the ancient way of St James amidst picturesque scenery, we travel to Lugo.
09:30 hrs.- Lugo - Free time, you can stroll around its walls built more than 2000 years ago by the Romans, declared UNESCO World Heritage.
11.00 hrs.- Lugo -departure. We travel to Castile, and on our way we make a stop at O Cebreiro, a small Galician stone village that shows us this region’s traditional way of life.
14:15 hrs. -Leon . - Time for lunch and stroll in this historic Leonese capital which stands on the Way of St James. Its Gothic cathedral stands out with magnificent stained glass windows.
16:45 hrs -Leon. - Departure.
18:30 hrs -Oviedo - Arrival. We include (sometimes on the following morning) a one and a half hour tour of the city with a local guide. We will see the ninth century cathedral, the Calatrava Palace, the Campoamor Theatre, and the Calle de la Rua. Night in the capital of the Principality of Asturias. A city with a great atmosphere.
Scenery: Very beautiful landscapes: mountains, views of the sea, small villages line the road.
08:30 hrs Oviedo-Departure of the Asturian capital.
09:45 hrs Covadonga. - We will visit Basílica which is surrounded by beautiful scenery.
10:45 hrs Covadonga -Departure. The green mountains blend with the sea. Beautiful scenery on the way.
12:30 hrs Santillana. -Arrival to one of Spain’s most beautiful towns. We will visit its well-preserved medieval quarter with its embalzoned houses, the Collegiate church, its cobbled streets. Time to walk and have lunch.. We visit the National Museum and Research Centre of ALTAMIRA (ticket included) located in the vicinity of this town where we can find reproduction of the fantastic rupestrian paintings of the cave.
16:00 hrs Santillana / Altamira-Departure.
16:30 hrs Santander - Arrival to the region’s capital city, a coastal city with amazing vistas and beaches. We will foloow the coast of the port to arrive to the beaches of Sardinero. We include a tourist train tour of the Magdalena Palace gardens , where we will enjoy their magnificent vistas.
Free time in Santander.
NOTE: On some high difficulty dates (especially in summer from July to mid September), some groups can be accommodated in Bilbao.
Countryside: Great sea views, beautiful mountains and green scenery.
09.00 hrs.- Santander -departure. Magnificent scenery. We will travel to the Basque Country.
10:30 hrs.- Bilbao. -Arrival in the Basque Country´s largest city. We will go on a tour of the city with a local guide, visiting places such as : the Guggenheim area, the Old Quarter, the Cathedral, etc. At the end of the tour there will be some free time to sample the famous “pintxos” and have lunch.
14:15 hrs – Bilbao. Departure-. We will then travel to la Rioja, a region famous for its excellent wine.
15:45 hrs - Wine Culture Winery Museum. - Located in the small town of Briones we will visit this fantastic museum/winery where we can discover the rich historic legacy and craft of winemaking, from vine-growing to the manufacture of the wine itself. Visit and a wine tasting included.
17.00 hrs - Wine Museum - Departure -
17:30 hrs - Santo Domingo de la Calzada. This picturesque historic town is situated on the famous "Way of St James". Curiously, a hen lives in the cathedral, which is a tradition born from an ancient legend.
18:30 hrs- Santo Domingo de la Calzada -Departure- We will then travel to Aragon.
21.00 hrs - Zaragoza - Arrival - Accommodation.
Countryside: Semi desert land in Aragon. Pleasant scenery in Catalonia.
After breakfast, we make a tour of Zaragoza with a local guide , lasting around two hours. On our visit, we will see the Pilar Basilica, the Cathedral; we will talk about the painter Goya and see some of his works and will also visit a Roman theatre, Renaissance palace and strolled past the Arab palace of the Aljafería. After this, free time to stroll and have lunch.
14.00 hrs -Zaragoza. - Departure.
16:30 hs - Monastery of Poblet. - Entrance included to this monastery surrounded by its walls, in a very beautiful site. This is one of the best preserved mediaeval monasteries in the world.
17:30 hrs -Monastery of Poblet. - Departure. - We cross rich agricultural regions of central Catalonia. We go to the beautiful area where the Benedictine Abbey stands. We climb to the summit in a small rack train to admire the fantastic views.
18:45 hrs -Monastery of Montserrat. - Arrival. - Time to admire the views and visit the sanctuary where we find the Virgin of Montserrat, patron saint of Catalonia (entrance not included).
19:45 hrs -Montserrat. - Departure (by road).
20:45 hrs- Barcelona . - Arrival.
Note: In some cases, depending on the timetable of the rack railway, the ascent to Montserrat can be done in our coach. From November to March, due to the shorter duration of the days, we will neither be ascending nor stopping in Montserrat.
09:00 hrs.- We include a morning tour of the city. This visit includes monument to Columbus, Plaza de Catalunya, Paseo de Gracia, Diagonal, Gaudi´s masterchief Sagrada Familia Montjuich with Olympic facilities, Plaza de España. The visit finish in the area of Ramblas so that you can enjoy in the historical center-Gothic quarter.
Free afternoon.
In the evening we include a transfer to attend the show of THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN of Montjuïch , with its combination of lights, colors, water and music. You will have time to dine in this area.
Note: in case of having the transfer to the Magic Fountain a day that for maintenance or any other reason the show is not performed, the night transfer will be given to the Maremagnum, avant-garde leisure center with restaurants by the sea and to the Plaza Colón.
Scenery: We follow the Mediterranean coast. Landscapes on the sea.
08:00 hrs -Barcelona -Departure. We travel to the Valencian Community.
10:45 hrs -Peñíscola. - Arrival. Dominating the sea with its powerful walls, its historic center with steep streets, white houses and medieval castle. History tells us about popes and pirates. Peñíscola is one of the most beautiful villages of the Spanish Mediterranean. Time to walk.
12:30 hrs -Peñíscola.- Departure.
14:30 hrs -Valencia.- Arrival. Free time in the center for lunch. Why not trying an authentic Paella Valenciana?. We suggest visiting the Lonja and the Cathedral.
16:30 hrs -Valencia.- Departure. After passing through the avant-garde city of Arts and Sciences, we continue through Castilla-La Mancha to Madrid.
21:00 hrs -Madrid.- Arrival.
Note: If the number of travellers from Valencia to Madrid is very small, the trip may be done by train or regular transport.
End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.
Important note: In case you have to book an external service (plane/train...) on the day of the end of
your tour with activities included, please remember that the schedules of the detailed itineraries are the "planned" ones but may be affected by different circumstances (traffic density, customer delays, breakdowns...). Do not book a flight/train with a tight schedule without taking this into account.
Always leave a margin in the schedule for unforeseen events.