Amazing Spain & Portugal (Winter 2012/13) - Insight Vacations - W300WC07

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Price from: for 10 Days

Board your overnight flight (not included).

Welcome to Madrid, Europe’s highest capital, occupying the very centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Your airport transfers depart from Madrid Airport to the tour hotel at 09:00, 11:00, 13:30 & 16:00 hours. The rest of the day is at leisure to begin to get to know this stylish city. Tonight, get together for a Welcome Reception with drinks and a light informal meal.(Welcome Reception)

Set off southwards this morning to the city of Toledo, situated high above the River Tagus, and famous for its burnished steel swords, which have been crafted here for centuries. Walk through the cobbled streets to visit the Church of Santo Tomé, housing El Greco’s famous painting, ‘The Burial of the Count of Orgaz’. Continue on through the dry plains of Don Quixote’s La Mancha, before crossing the Sierra Nevada to reach Granada, capital of the Moorish Kingdom of Spain till the Moors’ defeat in 1492.(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

‘There is no pain in life so cruel as to be blind in Granada’, cries the inscription on the walls of the Alhambra. Bathed in morning light, the Alhambra Palace awaits: a fantasy of stone cut lace, arabesque gardens and fountains, built as a citadel by the Moors in the 13th century. You also visit the exotic water gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence. Relax here in the sunshine, and enjoy the fine views over the town and its three verdant hills before embarking on a scenic drive to Seville. Next morning your guided sightseeing tour reveals the city in all its glory! Soak up the atmosphere in the fashionable Santa Cruz Quarter, with its narrow lanes and flower decked wrought iron balconies. See the fabulous Alcazar and slender Giralda Tower before entering the immense 15C Cathedral, the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. The rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, there are a selection of local restaurants to choose from for your Dine-around evening.(Buffet Breakfast / Buffet Breakfast / Dine Around)

A picturesque day’s drive through the Iberian landscape as you cross the Guadiana river and leave Spain, driving on to Portugal’s beautiful Algarve coast. Around lunch time, stop in one of the pleasant towns of this sun drenched region. Now head for Lisbon, historic capital of Portugal - according to the poet Camoes, “the princess of the world...before whom even the ocean bows”! During your stay, a panoramic guided tour takes you along the spacious avenues of the Lower Town and beneath the hilltop Bairro Alto to the Terreiro do Paco, finest square in the city. Visit the Belem Quarter from where sailing ships set forth to discover unknown lands. See the modern Monument to the Discoveries and the more ancient Belem Tower, a masterpiece of Manueline style. It was erected to protect Jeronimo’s Monastery which you visit next. Take some time to admire the fabulous double tiered cloisters. Then you are at leisure. Perhaps join a tour to the beautiful town of Sintra which was the summer residence of the Kings of Portugal?(Buffet Breakfast / Buffet Breakfast)

Drive into the green hills north of Lisbon to visit Fatima the most celebrated place of pilgrimage in Portugal. Visit the Basilica commemorating the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in 1917. Then cross the border back into Spain and continue to Salamanca, famous for its golden stone buildings. See the handsome arcades of the Plaza Mayor and Puente Romano bridge across the River Tormes - 15 of its 26 arches still date from the time of the ancient Romans!(Buffet Breakfast / Dinner)

Cross the rock strewn hills of La Morana, towards the city of Avila, still entirely enclosed within 11th century walls, and unique in Europe. Walk awhile within the ancient city, before returning to Madrid for a sightseeing tour. Here, your local guide takes you along the Gran Via and through the Puerta del Sol. You’ll see the statue of Don Quixote in the Plaza de España, Royal Palace, Cibeles Fountain and Parliament. This evening, bid farewell to your new found friends with a lively Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant.(Buffet Breakfast / Celebration Dinner)

After breakfast, the airport shuttle service from the tour hotel arrives Madrid Airport at 07:00, 09:00 & 11:00 hours.(Buffet Breakfast)