Group Bus Tour of Andalusia and Madrid with City Stay from Lisbon

Group Bus Tour from Lisbon across Andalusia visiting Seville, Ronda, Marbella, Granada then to Toledo and Madrid ending in back in Lisbon...


CACERES: If Spain had anything akin to the American Far West, it must have been Extremadura -the land beyond the River Duero- the area that gave birth to so many doughty Conquistadors. Cáceres (pop. 74,589), named World Heritage City in 1985, sober, seigneurial and proud, lies in the heart of this conquistador homeland. Largely medieval, the town walls date from the time of the Almohads and even preserve some Roman sections. Twelve of the thirty towers which once protected the enclosure are still standing.








SEVILLE: Seville is a city steeped in history. Throughout the narrow streets and main avenues - in fact, virtually everywhere you cast your eye, there are magnificent monuments and buildings which stand as a legacy to this city`s fascinating heritage. Many of these date from the time of the Moorish conquest (712), such as the Giralda, the Alcazar, and the Cathedral which was originally built as a mosque by the Almohads in the late 12th century, and later became the largest Gothic church in the world.






RONDA: Ronda stands on a mighty promontory, or outcropping, which made it impregnable to the Christian armies until the very last years of the Reconquest. This plateau is slashed into two main quarters by a deep cleft in the rock, spanned by the 18th century Puente Nuevo or "New Bridge", which is the chief landmark for all itineraries. Modern (largely built in the 18th century) Ronda is the quarter to the North of the gorge, called El Mercadillo, with the Plaza de España, the site of Ronda`s recently built Parador, the spectacular walkway along the river gorge with superb views of the countryside below.

GRANADA: The name Granada is ancient and mysterious. It may mean "great castle", for the Roman fortress which once stood on the Albaicin Hill. When the Moors came here, the town was largely inhabited by Jews, for which they called it Garnat-al-Yahud - Granada of the Jews. The Jews are said to have been one of the first peoples to settle in Spain, even before the Romans.






MADRID: The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the península and right in the center of de Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three millions. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most industry is located on the southern fringe of the city; where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered . Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.





TOLEDO: The first-time visitor to Toledo cannot help be struck by the city as a whole, impregnated as it is with such a weight of history and wealth of culture. The town, perched on a hill skirted by a sharp bend in the River Tagus, has remained almost unchanged since the end of the Middle Ages, surrounded by curtain walls and formed by a winding maze of alleyways and lanes that meander up and down, crisscrossing and revealing, to the visitor its historical sights and secret corners. Toledo is a city to be explored on foot, time and time again, following itineraries that lead to the artistic and cultural high spots, and losing oneself among the nooks and crannies of its tangled web.

DAY 1:
LISBON - CACERES - SEVILLE
- 07:30AM: Departure from Lisbon towards the border with Spain and continuation to Caceres.
- Time at leisure to visit its Plaza Mayor and to walk through the old city and its famous medieval quarter, very well preserved and considered as World Heritage place.
- Lunch at your own.
- Continuation southwards to Andalusia by the highway known as the Silver Road and arrival to Sevilla.
- Dinner at the hotel.
- Overnight in Seville
D


DAY 2:
SEVILLE
- Breakfast.
- Morning city tour visiting the Barrio de Santa Cruz with its narrow streets, the Park of María Luisa and Plaza de España, with a panoramic sightseeing of the city. Optional Artistic tour including the Royal Alcazar Palace.
- Afternoon at leisure to continue discovering the city.
- Lunch or Dinner Half-Board meals included
- Overnight in Seville
B


DAY 3:
SEVILLE - RONDA - MARBELLA
- Breakfast.
- Then departure to the Route of the White Villages and Ronda.
- Free time.
- Optional excursion to Mijas or Gibraltar (at an extra cost)
- Continuation to Marbella, Costa del Sol.
- Dinner.
- Overnight in Marbella
B, D


DAY 4:
MARBELLA - GRANADA
- Breakfast.
- Departure to Granada, the last Moorish kingdom in Spain.
- Sightseeing tour including the impressive Alhambra with its beautiful Nazari Palaces and the Generalife.
- Dinner.
- Optional visit to the caves of Sacromonte and attend a typical show of gipsy flamenco. (at an extra cost)
- Overnight in Granada
B, D


DAY 5:
GRANADA - TOLEDO - MADRID
- Breakfast.
- Departure towards the Imperial City of Toledo, full of history and monuments.
- Lunch and city sightseeing throughout its narrow streets and alleys.
- Continuation to Madrid.
- Arrival to Madrid.
- Overnight in Madrid
B, L


DAY 6:
MADRID
- Breakfast.
- Morning city sightseeing tour to get acquainted with this monumental city and see the most important buildings, avenues and squares: Gran Via, Plaza de España, Plaza de Oriente, fountain of Cibeles and Columbus square, Puerta de Alcalá, Paseo de la Castellana, etc...
- afternoon at leisure to continue exploring on your own this cosmopolitan city.
- Overnight in Madrid
B


DAY 7:
MADRID - TRUJILLO - LISBON
- Breakfast.
- Departure to the region of Extremadura and arrival to Trujillo, birth place of Spanish conquerors.
- Time free to visit its beautiful and monumental Plaza Mayor.
- Continuation to cross the Portuguese border towards Lisbon, the capital of Portugal located at the mouth of river Tagus.
- Arrival to lisbon and end of our services.
B


(*NOTE: During the stay in Madrid, there will not be the service of a Tour Escort. Tours in Madrid shall be made by regular coach tour departures.)


END OF TOUR SERVICES