The Big Tour of Spain, Morocco and Portugal

Welcome to Europamundo! Upon arriving at the airport, we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Check the information boards in the hotel reception area for details of the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travelers.

In the morning we include a city tour of Barcelona, considered one of the most interesting European capitals, open to the Mediterranean Sea, famous for Gaudí and its modernist architecture, also for the ramblas and the memories of the Universal Exhibitions and Olympics that took place there. Free time in the afternoon. In the evening we include a transfer to the Maremagnum, a modern leisure center and restaurants facing the sea, next to Plaza Colón, where you can stroll through this lively area and dine.

We will travel south along the Mediterranean, making a special stop in PEÑISCOLA, a small walled town on the shores of the sea, where we will have time for a stroll. We will then travel to VALENCIA, a port city on the Levantine coast, in which we will arrive at lunch time. Will you try the famous paella? At 16:30 hrs. approx. we will continue our route to Madrid, making a brief stop at the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia. Arrival to MADRID at 20:30/21:00 hrs. and transfer to the Plaza Mayor, always a busy and common place to go out to have some pinchos or wine in one of its numerous mesons.Note: Depending on the number of passengers, the journey from Valencia to Madrid might be carried out by high-speed train.

The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the center of Madrid, including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. Then we will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city center, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. Entrance included to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the football stadium of Real Madrid, for many, the best club in the world. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure. At the end of the evening we will return to the hotel.

We leave Madrid in the early morning. We travel to the south across La Mancha, making a stop in PUERTO LAPICE, a ‘manchego’ village evoking the figure of Don Quixote. We will enter Andalusia via Despeñaperros, arriving in GRANADA. Lunch included. In the afternoon, if you purchased the trip with an included visit to the Alhambra, with a local guide we will visit the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built in Arab times. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The number of people authorized to visit the Alhambra is limited by law. To guarantee entry, the ticket will be issued when confirming the reservation of the tour. For this it is necessary to have the client´s correct personal data (full name and passport/ID number). Since there is no possibility of cancellation, in case of cancellation of the reservation the ticket costs will be passed on to the client. In very limited cases, when the Alhambra reservation is canceled, the Real Alcázar of Seville with similar characteristics will be visited.

Departure from Granada. We cross the Costa del Sol. In Algeciras or Tarifa we board a modern ferry to cross the Strait of Gibraltar (ticket included). The bus does not normally make the crossing, so the passengers must carry their lug­gage. Arrival in Morocco. We will travel through beautiful landscapes. ASILAH is a small and picturesque walled city on the shores of the Atlantic, was an ancient port and a base for pirates. Today the city is full of life. Time for lunch. After that we head to Rabat. Arrival in RABAT. Buffet dinner is included.

We will go on the city tour of Rabat, in which we will visit the immense Royal Palace, the Mohamed V Mausoleum and the mighty Kasbah of the Udayas. At midday we will travel to CASABLANCA, where we will have a short, but informative city tour. The tour includes a visit to the outside of what is considered one of the most important mosques in the Arab world, the great Hassan II mosque. Then, we will head to MARRAKECH. After arriving at the hotel, you will be able to experience a traditional Kalesa ride up to the famous Djema square. Dinner buffet included.

We are in one of the most fascinating cities of the world. We will include a city tour to admire its strong walls, the Kutubya tower, and the Jemaa square; we will also walk around its colourful Medina. Entrance to Bahia Palace. Lunch is included. There will be free time in the afternoon: you can take a rest in the pool and the garden of the hotel, or walk around the Medina with its many shops, riads (small hotels), and restaurants established in beautiful historical buildings which have been perfectly preserved. We strongly recommend visiting the area where the “Secret Garden” and the Music Museum are located. At night, if you wish, you can experience the Fantasy Party, an optional visit offered by Europamundo.

We will journey across the Atlas Mountains as their, usually snow-capped, high peaks will greet us as we say goodbye to Marrakech. Small Berber villages perch on the side of chasms. We will make a stop at the fortified village of AIT BENHADDOU, a place where several movies have been filmed. Our route will be going through the so-called biblical landscapes. We will spend some time in OUARZAZATE city with its impressive Kasbah. We will continue toward the valley of Roses. BOUMALNE DADES. Dinner included. NOTE: On very rare occasions (during winter), the roads may be closed due to snowdrifts. If necessary, this section of the itinerary will be resched­uled according to our alternative itinerary. (The access to Sahara will depend on road conditions).

A journey full of excitement in the Sahara Desert: the Valley of the Kas­bahs; river valleys containing thousands of palm trees; Stone plains fol­lowed by oasis and adobe villages, powerful fortresses defending the thoroughfares. We will visit the stunningly magnificent TODGHA GORGE. On the way there, we will make a stop at a small town built with adobe next to KHORBAT, visitors will be able to learn about this desert community, which is supported by the Europamundo Foundation. (Note: due to weather conditions, such as river flooding, access might not be possible sometimes).We will continue towards ERFOUD. Lunch included. Those who´d like to, could go by off-road to the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert and experience the dusk among the dunes.

We will leave Erfoud early, crossing the Atlas amidst powerful gorges and stunning landscapes. We then cross a high and cold plateau area inhabited by nomadic shepherds. Stop at MIDELT, in the center of this region. After lunch we continue our route towards the Middle Atlas, the landscape changes completely, we are in a region with forests and where it snows frequently in winter. Near AZROU, in the National Park we visit "the house of the cedars", a small museum that illustrates about the region, we will be amused by the colonies of monkeys that inhabit this area. We continue to BHALIL, small and quiet town inhabited by Berbers of the middle Atlas with a very picturesque old city center with colorful streets, traditionally the population lived in caves, today these caves have been integrated into the houses. Continue to FEZ, before going to the hotel we will admire the view of the city from the Saadian tombs. Dinner included.

We will discover Fez on an informative city tour. We will finish the visit with an included lunch at an ancient palace of the Medina district. In the afternoon, we will travel towards the north of Morocco a modern highway arriving in TANGIER in evening. Dinner and hotel accommodation included.

Free time in TANGIER, do you feel like doing the last bit of shopping? We take a ferry back to Spain. The bus will not be on board, each passenger must take their luggage on the ferry. Arrival in Algeciras or Tarifa and continuation to SEVILLE. Arrival in the evening.

In the morning we include a city tour. You will be able to see the cathedral and its famous Giralda, the banks of the Guadalquivir River, and the popular neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana. After the visit we will include a boat ride along the Guadalquivir River. Enjoy the panoramic views from the boat. In the evening we offer you the possibility to attend a popular flamenco tablao.

We will leave Seville among pleasant landscapes of soft mountains and large pasture lands, we travel towards Extremadura. MÉRIDA, entrance included to the archaeological complex of the Roman Theater and Amphitheater, of excellent conservation, World Heritage Site. Time to have lunch and a walk in the pleasant pedestrian historic center with lots of life and restaurants. We will continue to Portugal, making a stop in ÉVORA, a city also declared a World Heritage Site, with its white streets,its Renaissance palaces and its cathedral. LISBON, arrival at the evening.

In the morning we will have a city tour, during which we will get to know the Portuguese capital of the 7 hills, the alleys and the tiles, the "saudade" and the Atlantic light. We will also approach the Belem neighborhood, from where the great Portuguese navigators, who crossed the oceans in the 15th century, left. Free time in the afternoon to walk and go to the Bairro Alto and its viewpoint; if you´d like to, you could take an optional excursion to the towns of Sintra, Cascais and Estoril. In the evening we return from the Restauradores Square, full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes, to the hotel.

We will head to the north of Portugal and visit FATIMA, an important sanctuary. We will continue our way to PORTO, Portugal’s second largest city. Free time to have lunch and afterwards we will have a sightseeing tour of this coastal city at the mouth of the Douro River with cobblestone streets and colorful houses, known for its imposing bridges and delicious wines. We will also include a visit to the old cellars. Free time.

On this day we will travel through beautiful landscapes. In the city of BRAGA we will get on the world’s oldest cable car to ride up to the Sanctuary of BOM JESUS, where we will enjoy its gorgeous views. We suggest walking down to admire its beautiful stairway. We will continue our trip and head to Galicia. We will visit the historic town of CAMBADOS in Rías Baixas, where we will go on a glass bottom boat trip in which we will learn about the production of mussels and oysters. Wine and mussels tasting included. At lunchtime we will arrive in SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, where we will have the city tour with a local guide. This town was a famous pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages.

We travel following the Way of St. James. In LUGO we will have time to visit the historic town center and Roman walls, which were declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will make a stop in O´CEBREIRO, a small Galician stone village. Arrival in LEÓN at lunchtime, where we will have time to visit the Gothic cathedral with its stained-glass windows and to stroll through the historic town center. After that we will cross the Cantabrian Range mountains on our way to Asturias. Arrival in OVIEDO in the evening. We will include (occasionally the next morning) an hour-and-a-half visit of the city with a local guide, in which we will visit its 9th century cathedral, Calatrava Congressional Palace, Campoamor Theatre and Calle de la Rua.

We will travel to Picos de Europa (Peaks of Europe). We will visit Basilica of COVADONGA, which is surrounded by beautiful scenery. Then following the coastline, we will head to SANTILLANA, one of Spain’s most beautiful towns, and we will visit its well-preserved medieval quarter. We will also visit the Museum of the ALTAMIRA Caves (ticket included), located in the vicinity of this town. We will later travel to SANTANDER, the region’s capital, a coastal city with amazing views and beaches. We will explore and learn about this elegant city and beautiful bay during the included city tour.

We will follow the motorway along the Cantabrian coast. Some of the sceneries we will see today, as we travel between the mountains and the sea, are specially beautiful. BILBAO. We arrive in the Basque Country´s largest city. We will go on a short city tour with a local guide which will cover: the Guggenheim area, the old quarter, the Cathedral… then there will be free time to enjoy some authentic “pintxos”. We will then travel to La Rioja, an outstanding winemaking region. We will visit the Wine Museum in Briones and learn about the significance of the ancient art of winemaking. ZARAGOZA, we will arrive in the evening.

We include a morning sightseeing tour of the city of ZARAGOZA with a local guide. We will visit the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. We will also learn about Goya, the famous painter (and see some of his works), visit the Roman theatre, the Renaissance palace and have a walk by the Aljafería Palace.After lunch we will continue our journey and head to the POBLET MONASTERY, a walled monastery surrounded by the beautiful scenery. It is one of the best preserved medieval monasteries in the world (ticket included). We will continue to BARCELONA, arrival in the evening.

After breakfast, end of our services.