12D11N GALICIA TOUR

Arrive at Barcelona – El Prat Airport. A representative holding a sign displaying your name will be waiting to greet you in the arrivals lounge and transfer you to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure enjoying the highlights of Barcelona

Overnight in Barcelona

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, make your own way to the meeting point at Calle Balmes, 5 at 8:30 in the morning for the Highlights City Tour of Barcelona. This half-day sightseeing tour will introduce you to the history of the city while visiting some of its most important sites. The first part of the visit consists in a guided walking tour through the small, narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of the city. We will see Las Ramblas, the old Jewish Quarter, the Cathedral – where you will have time to enter and look around – as well as many other interesting places. Later, we will take a bus for a panoramic tour around the rest of the city. We will drive along the elegant Passeig de Gràcia, where two of Gaudi’s most important buildings, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, are located. Then we will see the Arc de Triomf and the Port Olímpic. Continue to Montjuïc, the location of the 1992 Olympic Games, and see the Olympic stadium from the bus. Later, ride the cable car up the hillside for panoramic views of Barcelona (weather dependent) and visit Poble Espanyol, which literally means ‘Spanish Village’. This open-air museum is a showcase of Spanish architecture and culture. Enjoy some free time here to enjoy the different sectors inspired by different Spanish regions and visit craft shops, restaurants and bars. After visiting Poble Espanyol, return to the bus and travel back to the city centre passing through Plaça d’Espanya, the Torres Venecianes, the MNAC national art gallery and the Las Arenas shopping centre, which is set in an old bullring. The tour will finish in Plaça de Catalunya. Make your own way back to your hotel for a well-earned rest. Please note that the cable car will not be running between January and March (dates to be confirmed) due to renovation works. This activity will be replaced with a tapas tasting session in Poble Espanyol.

Overnight in Barcelona

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Barcelona Sants railway station to take the AVE high-speed train to Zaragoza. Upon arrival in Zaragoza, meet a representative at the Hotel Eurostar Zaragoza reception, which is located inside Zaragoza Delicias railway station, and then transfer to the city centre to join the tour. In the afternoon, continue to San Sebastian, one of Spain’s most famous tourist destinations and the home of the International Film Festival. Enjoy a panoramic city tour of this bourgeois city, taking in the extraordinary landscape dominated by the bay and the magnificent La Concha beach. Return to the hotel for the night.

Overnight in San Sebastian

Breakfast at hotel. We will approach Mount Igueldo, to contemplate the marvelous views of the city and then proceed towards Bilbao. Panoramic driver in Bilbao and free time on the esplanade where The Guggenheim Museum is located in order to admire this modern architectural building. Proceed to the old fishing village “Castro Urdiales”. Free time. Departure to Santander, a port city located between the sea and the mountains, well known for its Sardinero Beach, one of the best known beaches in Spain. Free time to stroll through this elegant city. Accommodation.

Overnight in Santander

Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Santillana, it’s one of the most important historical artistic towns in Spain. It contains architectural treasures such as the Collegiate of Santa Juliana, a Jewel of the Romanesque Arquitecture in Cantabria. Continue to Covadonga, where you will have free time to see the Sanctuary and the Grotto where you will see the patroness of Asturias our Lady of Covadonga. In the afternoon, departure to Oviedo, where you will see on a series of hills the beauty of Saint Maria de Naranco Church, Jewel of the pre Romanic asturian architecture. Free time to explore Oviedo, many of their streets are pedestrian, where you will be able to see World Heritage sites like The Cathedral, a splendid example of gothic asturian architecture. Accommodation.

Overnight in Oviedo

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the Galician region. Arrive to Lugo. Free time to be able to contemplate the Roman remains that still retains like its walls, declared Patrimony of the Humanity. Continuation to La Coruña. Brief panoramic driver through the main avenues of this fabulous town driving by the Marine Avenue to admire the elegance of this city with the typical Galician architecture of glass house galleries. Brief stop in one of the wonders of the world the oldest working lighthouse the “Tower of Hercules” dating back from the roman period. Afternoon at leisure where you can assist an optional tour to the Rias Altas. Accommodation.

Overnight in La Coruña.

Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Santiago de Compostela declared World Heritage as it is one of the most important center of Christian Pilgrimages in Spain as the end of the Camino de Santiago route built during the Roman Empire. City tour where we will see the main square called Obradoiro and also the Cathedral (entrance included) dedicated to the Apostle Santiago. Balance of the day at leisure to explore the narrow cobblestone streets and get the feel of the student atmosphere. Accommodation.

Overnight in Santiago de Compostela.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure towards one of the most marvelous areas of Galicia, the Rias Bajas (Spanish Fjords). Driving through this magnificent landscape we will arrive to La Toja Island, universally known for its spa. Free time and continue to the Ria de Arosa, passing through Pontevedra to arrive to Vigo, situated in the middle of the Rias Baixas. Accommodation.

Overnight in Vigo .

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Portuguese border. Arrive to Viana do Castelo, city located between the mouth of the river Miño and Porto. Free time and continue to Braga. Accommodation.

Overnight in Braga

Breakfast. Departure to the Spanish border to arrive to Salamanca. Short stop and free time in this university city (World Heritage) of great architectural and artistic wealth. Continue to Madrid. Arrival and accommodation at the hotel

Overnight in Madrid.

After breakfast at the hotel, join a morning panoramic tour of Madrid. Learn all about the city’s mediaeval origins at its Arabic fortress and the Barrio de la Morería, famous for its historical buildings. Drive through the courtesan district of the Hapsburgs, characterised by Phillip II and its Renaissance-era and Baroque buildings. You’ll also see iconic locations such as the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de la Villa. Continue to explore the Madrid of the Bourbons and the complex town planning schemes the city owes to Charles III. Marvel at the Royal Palace, Cibeles, the Neptuno Fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá. Another admirable work from the 19th century is the Prado Museum. Last but not least, discover contemporary Madrid with areas such as the Gran Vía, the Castellana, the district of Salamanca, the Plaza Castilla and the Parque del Oeste, as well as the more commercial and financial areas of Modern Madrid, such as the emblematic Las Ventas Bullring and the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. The afternoon is free for you to continue exploring this city at your leisure.

Overnight in Madrid

Enjoy one last breakfast at the hotel before saying goodbye to Madrid and transfer to the airport

Breakfast included.