Early departure from Madrid to Castilla. We make a brief stop at the Viewpoint of the 4 posts overlooking the magnificent walls of ÁVILA. Almost on the border with Portugal we make a stop in CIUDAD RODRIGO to take a walk to see its cathedral, wall and medieval streets. We continue towards Portugal. PORTO, arrival and accommodation. Sightseeing tour of this city, the second largest city in Portugal known for its wines. At the end of the city tour we will visit a century-old winery. Free time.

Note: If the number of passengers between Madrid and Porto is very small, this part can be done by plane, canceling in this case the stop in Ciudad Rodrigo.

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. We will visit Basílica de Covadonga which is surrounded by beautiful scenery. We will resume our journey following the coastline to SANTILLANA, one of Spain’s most beautiful towns, and we will visit its well-preserved medieval quarter. We visit the National Museum and Research Centre of ALTAMIRA (ticket included) located in the vicinity of this town. We will later travel to SANTANDER, the region’s capital city, a coastal city with amazing vistas and beaches. We include panoramic city tour to discover this elegant city and its beautiful bay. NOTE: On some high difficulty dates (especially in summer from July to mid September), some groups can be accommodated in Bilbao.

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.

In the morning we will enjoy the city tour of Barcelona, open to the Mediterranean Sea, famous for Gaudí and its modernist architecture, for its promenades and memories of the Universal Exhibitions and Olympics that took place there. Barcelona is considered one of the most beautiful and interesting European cities. Free time in the afternoon.

In the evening we include a transfer to the Maremagnum, an avant-garde leisure center with 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 in MADRID at 20:30/21:00 hrs.

Note: Depending on the number of passengers, the journey from Valencia to Madrid might be carried out by high-speed train.

After breakfast, end of our services.