Madrid - Andalusia And Relaxation On The Costa Del Sol 9 Day Tour

Madrid - Andalusia And Relaxation On The Costa Del Sol 9 Day Tour
Relaxing 9 day tour of Madrid, Andalusia and the Costa Del Sol
1st Day (Fri.) MADRID
Meet at the airport for assistance and transfer to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day as you wish, resting or exploring the area, before returning to your hotel accommodation.
2nd Day (Sat.) MADRID
Enjoy a delicious breakfast in your hotel. Spend the morning touring the city of Madrid; discover the medieval origins of the city, inlcuding the Arabic fortress at the Barrio de la Morería, famous for its historic architecture. Drive through the courtesan district of the Hapsburg ruler Phillip II, with its Renaissance and Baroque-style buildings, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa. See the Madrid of the Bourbons and the complex town planning schemes of Charles III, the Royal Palace (which you can see from the inside), the Cibeles and Neptuno Fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá. Admire nineteenth century edifices such as the Prado Museum. Don't forget to experience contemporary Madrid as well, in areas such as the Gran Vía, the Castellana, the district of Salamanca, Plaza Castilla and Parque del Oeste, as well as the commercial and financial areas of modern Madrid. Highlights include the emblematic Las Ventas Bullring and the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. Stop for a free drink at the famous “Hard Rock Café”. Take the rest of the day to to continue exploring the wonders that the city has to offer, before returning to your hotel accommodation.
3rd Day (Sun.) MADRID – CACERES – CORDOBA
Breakfast in your hotel is the first event of the day. After that, you will be taken to the JULIÁ TRAVEL bus terminal, which is located in the underground parking below the Plaza de Oriente. Your departure from the JULIÁ TRAVEL bus terminal will be at 08:30 a.m. From there, you will drive westwards on a modern highway towards Extremadura, remembered as the homeland of many historic explorers and discoverers of the New World. The first stop on your tour will be Caceres. It is the capital of the province, and has been declared a World Heritage City. Take your time to have a leisurely walk through the old town with its ancient walls and well-known medieval quarter. Afterwards, the tour will continue with a drive to the south, towards Cordoba, once the capital of the Caliphate. Finally, you will find dinner and comfortable accommodation waiting for you in your hotel.
4th Day (Mon.) CORDOBA – SEVILLE
Have breakfast in your hotel in preparation for another day of discovery. This time, take a tour of the city of Cordoba, including a visit to its impressive “Mosque”, today a Cathedral, and other site. You will find plenty of sights and sounds to relax your mind and spirit as you stroll through the narrow, winding streets of the Jewish Quarter. Your tour will then continue on towards Seville. Once again, dinner and accommodation await, in your comfortable hotel.
5th Day (Tue.) SEVILLE
Start the day off with breakfast in your hotel. In the morning, enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, taking in the exterior of the Cathedral (the second largest in the Catholic world after St. Peters in Rome), the Santa Cruz quarter, the Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España. The afternoon is free, so that you can venture out on your own to discover many more fantastic views of this lovely city, and taste some of its unique flavours. After an active day, you will be happy to return to your hotel for dinner. There's also an optional Flamenco tour, if you want to experience even more of the city's famous qualities.Breakfast at the hotel.
6th Day (Wed.) SEVILLE – RONDA – COSTA DEL SOL
After breakfast in your hotel, enjoy a scenic drive towards the south, passing through several villages that are typical for this region. There will be a stop at Ronda, with some leisure time to admire this town, with its Celtic origins, and appreciate the marvellous views of the valley and mountain range nearby. In the afternoon, you will continue on to the famous Costa del Sol, one of the best and most modern tourist areas in the world. Dinner awaits in your comfortable hotel accommodation.
7th Day (Thu.) COSTA DEL SOL – GRANADA
After breakfast, head for the city of Granada and its truly incredible architectural monuments. It was the last stronghold of the Moorish Kingdoms until 1492. Visit the world-famous Alhambra complex and Generalife Gardens. These locations have provided memorable sights and sounds to inspire many literary masterpieces incuding the “Tales of the Alhambra” by W. Irving. You will have the afternoon free, to relax a little, or investigate whatever interests you in Granada, before returning for dinner at your hotel. You might want to take in the optional Gipsy Flamenco Show in the Sacromonte quarter.
8th Day (Fri.) GRANADA – TOLEDO – MADRID
Breakfast is in your hotel, as usual. Drive northwards, and after a while, the Imperial City of Toledo will appear, reaching up toward the endless sky of Castilla. You will be mightily impressed by this World Heritage City. It is situated on the Tagus River and is famous because Christian, Moorish and Jewish cultures have flourished here together for centuries. The whole town is a kind of National Monument., reflecting all the best aspects of Spanish art, history and spirituality. Feast your eyes on a short, guided tour of this historical old town, with its exotic architecture and narrow streets. And if that's not enough, you will visit the famous “Damasquinado” factory, where iron is worked with gold and silver inlaying techniques to make fascinating and valuable objects. At the end of the day, continue to Madrid, where your hotel accommodation awaits.
9th Day (Sat.) MADRID
After breakfast in your hotel, transfer directly to the airport. END OF OUR SERVICE.
Highlights
• Transfer from the airport to your hotel in Madrid
• Tour the magnificent cities of Madrid and Cordoba
• Get to know Seville, home of Carmen and Don Juan
• Travel to the Costa Del Sol via Ronda
• Admire Granada, including the magnificent Alhambra
• See Jewish, Christian and Moorish culture in Toledo