Paris Lourdes Best of Spain and Portugal

Welcome to Paris! Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. You can enjoy your free time until the tour starts, information about the meeting place and start time can be found on the information boards in the hotel reception area.




Overnight in Paris

After a delicious breakfast, we will leave for Versailles, the immense palace of the kings of France. After that, we will return to Paris at lunch time where we provide a transfer to the Montmartre district. We will ascend by funicular to the hill and admire the spectacular view of Paris from the top. This neighborhood is known for its painters, artists, and its cabarets. Sit down for lunch and enjoy a magical atmosphere. Then, a scenic guided tour to discover the history, main boulevards, and breathtaking monuments of Paris will take place. Return to hotel. Optionally you can attend a variety show.




Overnight in Paris

After breakfast, we go to the center of Paris, starting in the Eiffel Tower area. You will have the opportunity to climb up to the second floor of this remarkable metal monument (ticket included). Then, we enjoyed a boat cruise along the River Seine, which divides the north of Paris from the south. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore as you choose.



Note: Sometimes queues to climb the Eiffel Tower are long. For organizational reasons, if deemed appropriate, the climb can be made at a different moment of the day. At around 17:30h we will leave Paris for the Loire Valley. We will arrive in Tours, the regional capital of the Loire, in the late afternoon. We recommend you use your time here to take a stroll and dine in the beautiful historic downtown.




Overnight in Tours

Today we will travel to the south of France across fragrant vineyards. We arrived in Bordeaux whose town centre was declared a World Heritage Site. Here we will have time to have lunch and explore. We suggest that you visit the Port of the Moon and St Andrews Cathedral. We will then continue our trip and head towards the Pyrenees. Lourdes, arrives in the late afternoon. You can attend the candle procession (which takes place from late March until the end of October) and visit places of worship. We include the dinner at the hotel for all our passengers.




Overnight in Lourdes

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, Skirting the Pyrenees, we will stop in Saint Bertrand, a medieval village perched on the mountainside, dominated by its great cathedral. Time for a stroll before traveling on to Carcassonne, a city surrounded by beautiful walls. We continue through the Pyrenees on a journey between the, often, snow-capped summits, and cross into the small country of Andorra. Dinner included.




Overnight in Andorra

Today you will enjoy free time to explore and shop in Andorra. After lunch, we will continue our journey to Catalonia. The mountain countryside will guide us to the impressive site of the Montserrat Monastery, where you will travel up the mountain on a rack train to enjoy the fantastic scenery. After an incredible afternoon, we will continue to Barcelona. Upon arrival in the late afternoon, you will be transferred to your hotel.




Overnight in Barcelona

We include a morning tour of the city, Les Rambles, Gaudís works, and the remnants of Olympic venues. Free afternoon. We include night transportation and will 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, avantgarde leisure center with restaurants by the sea, and to the Plaza Colón.




Overnight in Barcelona

After breakfast at the hotel, we will journey south along the Mediterranean, making a special stop in Peniscola, a small walled town on the shores of the sea. After a short introduction by our guide, you can make your own way through town, discovering its fishing port, the castle, and the beach at your own leisure. We will then travel to Valencia, where we will have time to have lunch. A local guide will take you on a tour of the city in the afternoon. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain where the modern blends with the historical. On the tour, we will learn about its historic city center, the fish market, the cathedral, and the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences. In the evening we will have a transfer to the Plaza de Toros (bullring) area where you will have time to have dinner. Return to the hotel in the late evening.




Overnight in Valencia

Today we will continue our trip and head to Alicante. We will have time to take a walk in this charming, coastal city and, after lunch, we will make our way to the Murcia region, where we will visit Caravaca De La Cruz, a town considered by the Catholic Church as one of the five holy cities. Its church holds a relic of Christs Cross. We will also take a train ride up to its historic area, which we can explore before we continue our trip along scenic roads on our way to Andalusia. We will end the day in Granada.




Overnight in Granada

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will have a full day in Granada. In the afternoon we will visit with a local guide the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built in Arabian times. In the evening we will visit the Albaicin district, a World Heritage site as is the Alhambra, where you can have dinner in the narrow winding streets of this captivating Medieval Moorish quarter. At night, you will have the option to attend a flamenco dance show in the traditional neighborhood of Sacromonte.



IMPORTANT NOTE: The maximum number of people allowed to visit Alhambra is limited by the local government. Even if you buy the trip with the ticket included, we cannot guarantee entrance to the Alhambra. In such an event, we would offer entry to the Reales Alcázares in Seville, which is similar.




Overnight in Granada

After breakfast, you will leave Granada and travel towards the Costa del Sol. You will arrive in Malaga and explore the historic city center, breathtaking cathedral, and incredible Picasso Museum. From there, we will continue along the coastal motorway, passing the beautiful views of the Mediterranean. Enjoy a stop in Puerto Banus, Marbella, a beautiful resort known as the playground of Europes rich and famous. In the afternoon, we will continue through the hills until we reach Ronda, a very beautiful “white town” with its large gorge that divides it in two. Later, we will continue our journey to Seville, where you will arrive in the afternoon and be transferred to your hotel.




Overnight in Seville

After breakfast, a local expert will guide you on a scenic visit to Seville featuring the Cathedral and its famous Giralda (bell tower), the banks of the Guadalquivir River, popular neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz and Triana, and the beautiful Plaza de España. After the visit, we will include a boat trip along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Afterward, you will have free time to explore at your own leisure. At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (Calle Alfonso XII) where there are many different types of restaurants for you to choose from.




Overnight in Seville

Get ready to leave Seville on a stage of scenic beauty. Traveling through breathtaking hills and olive trees, we will enter Extremadura. Your next stop will be in Jerez De Los Caballeros, a town that once belonged to the Knights Templar. This is also where Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was born. Later, we will enter Portugal. Discover Monsaraz, one of the most picturesque villages of Portugal, with its incredible walls, castle, breathtaking views, and white and flowery streets. We will continue to the city Evora, declared a World Heritage Site with its white streets, Renaissance palaces, and beautiful cathedral. Here you will have time for lunch. We will also visit the impressive Chapel of Bones, built with 5000 skeletons! Towards the end of the day, we will arrive in Lisbon, where you will be transferred to your hotel.




Overnight in Lisbon

After breakfast, you will embark on a sightseeing tour with a local guide. We will visit the tra­ditional neighborhoods of Lisbon, including the Belem district, the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the 15th century. You will explore the Monument of the Discoveries, Belem Tower, and the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy an afternoon of leisure where you may explore the city at your own pace. In the late afternoon, we will offer a transfer to Restauradores Square, filled with plenty of restaurants and cafes. We suggest you ride the Elevador Da Gloria funicular that takes you to the viewpoint of San Pedro and take in the beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto. Later on, you will return to the hotel.




Overnight in Lisbon

Today you will travel to the north of Portugal and visit Fatima, an important sanctuary (a pilgrimage site). We will continue through the green lands of the center, passing into Spain and crossing into Extremadura. Lunch will be included en route at a regional restaurant. We will continue our journey to Madrid, where we will arrive towards the end of the day. Later, we will include a transfer to Plaza Mayor, where you may spend time at typical taverns. At the end of the day, you will be transferred to the hotel.




Overnight in Madrid

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. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city center, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las Ventas Bullring (admission included) is next. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the “corridas” at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure. At sunset, we will provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international, and Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice. At the end of the evening, we will return to the hotel.




Overnight in Madrid

After breakfast, get ready to make your own way to Madrid International Airport to prepare for your flight home.