Custom Spain Itinerary

Transcription

1 Custom Spain Itinerary On this tour you will: - Enjoy bespoke tours at your own pace with our professional expert bilingual guides. - Transportation in a luxury vehicle, MB E Class with an expert driver. - The best for the jet lag is the movement, so in the afternoon our local expert guide will meet with you at your Hotel to star your half-day walking tour through the Madrid of the Habsburgs visiting the Royal Palace. - In a half day there is not enough time to know a city, so the next day you will have a full guided tour including the Prado and Sorolla Museum, the Madrid of Bourbons and - One of the greatest Jewish communities was located in Toledo, currently this city has one of the best-preserved Jewish Quarters, and you will discover this city by the hand of our local guide, expert in Jewish History. - From Madrid to Barcelona you will go by High Speed Train, our chauffeur will pick you up at your Hotel in Madrid, and when you arrive in Barcelona another of our chauffeurs will pick you up to take you to your Hotel. - In Barcelona our expert guide has prepared a customized tour for you, she will pick you up at your Hotel with our chauffeur, so in a day you will visit the highlights of the city. - On your day for leisure we suggested you some sites, you can visit it without our guide. - If you visit Barcelona you have to visit the Sacred Mountain, Montserrat, our expert guide will show you this amazing Abbey and Natural Park. - Another greatest Jewish community was located in Gerona, so our guide prepared a day trip including Figueras to visit the Dali Museum and the to have a complete visit of Gerona, including the Jewish Museum. Optional

2 May 15 th, Arrival in Madrid Your chauffeur will be waiting for you as you exit customs with a sign with your name to take you to your Hotel. In the afternoon our expert guide will meet with you at the Hotel to show you the city, walking trough the Madrid of the seventeenth century, Madrid of the Habsburgs. First you will go to the Royal Palace, here you will have a complete guided visit inside the Palace. It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city, but this is only used for state ceremonies. They do not reside here. Beside of the Royal Palace there is the Plaza de Oriente presided by two of the most important buildings of the city, the Royal Palace and the Royal Theatre. A few meters from the Palace, there is the Cathedral of the Almudena, a stunning neoclassical building.

3 Then you will go to the Plaza de la Villa walking through the Mayor Street, one of the most important streets of the city. The Square of the Villa is one of the best-preserved monumental sites of Madrid. There are three buildings of great historical and artistic value, built in different centuries. Casa and Tower Lujanes (XV century), built in Gothic-Mudejar style. Casa de Cisneros (XVI century), a Renaissance palace Casa de la Villa (XVII century) built in Baroque style. The Mercado de San Miguel is a historic and monumental place, full of literary reminiscences. Located in the heart of old Madrid is in the area of greatest personality of the city and best commercial, cultural and leisure activities. Plaza Mayor, it has a ring of old and traditional shops and cafes under its porticoes, you will walk through its surroundings.

4 After the Square, with a nice stroll you will arrive to Puerta del Sol, this is the center of Spain. It marks kilometer 0 of every radial road in Spain symbolically and also the heart of Madrid. What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (4 hours), entrances fees to the Royal Palace. What s not included? Meals, drinks, souvenirs and transportation. May 16th, Full Day Madrid Tour. For this day our guide has prepared a mixed tour, some parts of it you will do by car and some others by foot. In the morning our guide and chauffeur will pick you up at your Hotel and you will have a panoramic of the city in a luxury car.

5 In this first part you will see the Castilla Square and Bernabeu Stadium passing through Paseo de la Castellana and Colon Square. Then you will head to Atocha Train Station through Paseo del Prado, were you will see the façades of the Museums, the Neptuno Fountain and the Cibeles Square, where Real Madrid CF celebrates their victories. Afterwards you will see the Puerta de Alcala, one of the entrances of the old city, have a walk through the Retiro Park and go to Las Ventas, the bullfight ring, the biggest of Spain, and the Gran Via Street.

6 After this your driver will take you to the Spain Square, surrounded by the highest buildings in the city and then you will walk to the West Park to visit the Debod Temple, an Egyptian Temple, originating from ancient Egypt and 2,200 years old, was a gift from Egypt to Spain for their help in the rescue of the temples of Nubia.

7 The second part of the tour is the Museums, you will have a guided tour inside the Prado Museum that according to art historian Jonathan Brown "few would doubt that is the most important museum in European painting in the world", its main attraction lies in the wide presence of Velázquez, El Greco, Goya, Titian, Rubens and El Bosco, who has the best and most extensive collections that exist worldwide. You will finish your tour with the Sorolla Museum, it is located in the building in which the painter had his home and workshop, which was designed by architect Enrique Maria Repulles. When you finish with the Museum your guide and chauffeur will leave you at your Hotel. What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (8 hours), entrances fees to the Prado and Sorolla Museum, MB E Class for transportation. What s not included? Meals & Drinks, Souvenirs.

8 May 17 th, Day Trip to Toledo Your chauffeur will pick you up at your Hotel and head to Toledo. Once you arrive, you will meet with your local expert guide, he will explain everything about The City of the Three Cultures. Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Jews and Christians left their mark in the history of Toledo. First you will have a panoramic view of the city from the Mirador del Valle, a gazer across the Tajo River, where you can enjoy these views Then you will go to the Zocodover Square, the most important square in Toledo, is the zero kilometer from the old town, because from here leaves all the streets of the city. Then you will go to the Jew s House, at the heart of the Jewish Quarter of Toledo we can enjoy a home that shows how was Jewish life in the XIV-XV centuries. Its courtyard has crowd plastering, and the basement was ready for the Jewish liturgical or mikvah bath used for spiritual purification, and preparation before an important role in the life of a Jewish event.

9 Tiziano, Goya, and Caravaggio After the Jew s House you will visit the Cathedral, considered by some as the Gothic Style Magna Opera in Spain. Inside has great works of diverse artists as Greco, Then you will go to admire the Orgaz Lord s Burial, it is inside the Santo Tome Church.

10 The church occupied a mosque, and was rebuilt in the fourteenth century by Gonzalo Ruiz de Toledo, Count of Orgaz, on whose tomb said painting is displayed. Afterwards, you will go to the Transit Synagogue / Sephardic Museum, it shows historical, religious and customs of the Jewish past in Spain. The only synagogue in the fourteenth century: it was forbidden to build them, but Pedro I made an exception in gratitude to the support of the Jews of Toledo. You will have lunch at a typical restaurant. After lunch you will visit the Santa Maria la Blanca Church, now is a catholic temple but its known as

11 Synagogue de Santa Maria la Blanca, it has been a worldwide example for the construction of synagogues as its image. You can t leave this city without visiting the Greco Museum, so your next stop is a complete visit of it. Currently it is the only museum dedicated only to the Mannerist Painter Domenikos Theotokopoulos. What s not included? Meals & Drinks, Souvenirs. You will have free time for shopping before return to Madrid. What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (6 hours), entrances fees to Sto. Tome Church, Cathedral, Transit Synagogue, Synagogue de Santa Maria la Blanca and Greco Museum (Jew s House free), MB E Class for transportation. May 18 th, morning at leisure. We suggest you to visit the Salamanca District.

12 A great fashion catwalk, that's the street Serrano, and with it, the Salamanca district, created in the mid-nineteenth century with wide streets and elegant buildings. The streets of Jose Ortega y Gasset and Claudio Coello are the area where the best brands and the most prestigious national and international designers exhibit their latest proposals, including Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Carolina Herrera, Chanel, Gucci, Loewe, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu. Its shop windows are a temptation, as is the store of Manolo Blahnik, the most famous shoes in the world. The Golden Mile is the Silver Mile, and Mile of diamonds and other gemstones that from the windows give shine and glamor to the most exclusive heart of the city. This street is the artery with the highest number of jewelers in the Salamanca district. The most important Spanish houses as Suarez, share the limelight with the most prestigious international brands as Rabat or Cartier. It has also been noted for his good work at the stoves. Wine, tapas bars, cafes with history, Michelinstarred restaurants (Kabuki Wellington*, Ramón Freixa Madrid**) century. Visit the shop chocolatier Oriol Balaguer, whose artisans sweets were the favorite of Madrid bourgeoisie of the early twentieth

13 To make gastronomic purchases must visit the Mercado de la Paz, one of the two markets of the nineteenth century, which are preserved in the city, -the other is San Miguel-, built with iron. In the afternoon, your chauffeur will pick you up at your Hotel and head to Atocha Train Station, here you have to go to Atendo Office, and there someone will help you with your luggage. High Speed Train to Barcelona. When you arrive, someone will help you with your luggage, and then your chauffeur will pick you up there and head to your Hotel. May 19 th, Full Day Barcelona City Tour Your local expert guide will meet with you at your Hotel. You'll start with a nice stroll around the Gothic area to discover the exciting history of the city. Visit the Cathedral, the King Square, the Old Jewish area, Sant James Square and some roman remains. The Cathedral is an impressive Gothic church able to seduce visitors.

14 King Square is a monumental square, surrounded by Gothic and Renaissance buildings. Old Jewish Area, recently it was discovered an ancient synagogue, which has been restored and opened to the public. St. James Square is a leading, oldest and most representative of the city. The Roman wall of Barcelona has almost 2000 years of history. It is the largest monument in Barcelona over 2/3 of the wall remain hidden even after the passage of the years.

15 This stroll will lead you to the Palau Güell, nearby la Rambla. You'll visit this magnificent building design by Antoni Gaudi. This is the first commission he made for his patron M. Güell. This work belongs to Gaudi Orientalist stage, during which the architect makes a series of works marking oriental taste, inspired by the art of the Near and Far East (India, Persia, Japan) as well as in Islamic - Hispanic Art, mainly Mudejar and Nasrid. Gaudi used in profusion ceramic tile decoration and mitral arches, brackets and finials brick temple shaped or dome. Afterwards, you'll go to Passeig de Gracia to visit the Casa Batllo. This is one of Gaudi's masterpieces and being inside is like being underwater in a world of fantasy. You'll visit the main floor, the attic and the roof-terrace.

16 For lunch you will visit a local food market. Smells, colors, bustle and very fresh and high quality products. Walking through the markets of Barcelona is an experience in every way that you must not lose. Enjoy the Spanish Cuisine, tasting some tapas at one typical restaurant inside the Boqueria Market. After lunch, with all the energy recovered, you'll visit the Sagrada Familia. The unachieved church designed by Gaudi. You'll admire the façades and the inside as well as an exhibition about Gaudi and the Museum.

17 You'll end this fantastic day with the views of the city in the Park Güell, where you have another example of Gaudi's imagination. Discover the secret hidden in the park. What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (8 hours), entrances fees to the Cathedral, Palau Güell, Casa Batllo, Sagrada Familia and Güell Park, MB E Class for transportation. What s not included? Meals & Drinks, Souvenirs. May 20 th, Barcelona on your own For today we suggest you to visit: Casa Lleo Morera: it is a modernist building designed by the architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner. It is one of three buildings by great modernist architects Gaudi, Puig and Domenech I Montaner-, which are part of the Manzana de la Discordia, named, next to the Casa Batllo and Casa Amatller. English visits at 11:00AM.

18 Casa Mila: popularly known as La Pedrera, is a most unusual building, constructed by the architect Antoni Gaudi, and declared UNESCO World Heritage in Visits from 9:00AM to 8:00PM Monasterio de Pedralbes: A jewel of Catalan Gothic used by the community of Poor Clare nuns until 1983, when it opened to the public. The Monastery-Museum contains numerous works of art, liturgical objects and furnishings that the community has gathered over the centuries, and that allows us to know their daily life and the role of female monasticism. Visits from 10:00AM to 5:00PM

19 The Spanish Village: it is an outdoors museum located on Montjuïc in Barcelona. It was built in 1929 and was conceived as a town that is intended to bring together the main characteristics of the villages of Spain. Visits from 9:00AM to 00:00AM Ciutadella Park: it was for many years the only park in the city of Barcelona. Built in the image of the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. Visits from 8:00AM to 6:00PM

20 Liceo Theater: was founded on the Rambla in 1847 and has continued over the years to fulfill its role as a culture and arts center and one of the symbols of the city. Visits at 9:30AM and 10:30AM Picasso Museum: has a collection of 4,249 works of painter from Malaga, which makes it the world's most comprehensive works of Picasso's youth. The Government of Catalonia declares museum of national interest. Visits from 9:00AM to 7:00PM

21 Chocolate Museum: presents a journey through the history of chocolate and displays numerous works of art made with chocolate, becoming the sweetest museum in Barcelona. Visits from 10:00AM to 7:00PM The Foundation Miro: has the most comprehensive public collection of works of Joan Miro, consisting of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, prints and drawings from all periods of the artist. Visits from 10:00AM to 7:00PM

22 National Museum of Arts of Catalonia: also known by its acronym MNAC, stands out for its collection of Romanesque art, considered one of the most complete in the world. Visits from 10:00AM to 7:00PM May 21 st, Montserrat Tour

23 "Montserrat" literally means, "saw (serrated, like the common handsaw) mountain" in Catalan. It describes its peculiar aspect with multitude of rock formations, which are visible from a great distance. The mountain is composed of strikingly pink conglomerate, a form of sedimentary rock. Your chauffeur and local expert guide will pick you up at your hotel and head to Montserrat. And this is the landscape you'll see while approaching to the Abbey. Once there you'll visit the Basilica and listen to the Escolania Montserrat s Boys Choir sing the Salve and Virolai; the Montserrat Art Collection with some paintings of the best local artists like Ramon Casas or Joaquim Mir, and you'll have a nice stroll around the Natural Park before going back to Barcelona. Montserrat Basilica is built under the Gothic and Renaissance in the sixteenth century was applied in Catalan architecture. Montserrat is home to one of the oldest boys choirs in Europe. Documents testify to the existence of

24 a religious and music school in Montserrat as far back as the 14th century. Montserrat Museum: under Santa Maria square, and guarded by impressive iron structures, by the architect Puig i Cadafalch, we can find one of the most important state-of-the-art collections in the country. Montserrat is not only a monastery and a sanctuary; it is also a spectacular site from a geological point of view, as well as an important cultural center. The Sanctuary boasts a wealth of artistic, historic and natural heritage. It is a true Open Air Museum. Then you will return to Barcelona.

25 What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (5 hours), entrances fees to the Abbey, MB E Class for transportation. What s not included? Meals & Drinks, Souvenirs. May 22 nd, Optional Day Trip to Figueras and Gerona You'll start our day in Figueras to visit Dali's Theater-Museum. This is a big surrealistic piece design by Dali himself. Inside, a kind of labyrinth will help you to discover the genius of this artist. Paintings like Atomic Gala or rooms like the Windroom allow you to travel inside Dali's mind to understand his inspiration. You ll meet with the guide at your hotel lobby, and you ll head to Figueres in order to visit the Dali Museum. It is not a conventional at all! Actually, this is a big surrealist masterpiece, which allows you to discover this genius. Afterwards, you'll have lunch before going to Gerona, to visit its wonderful medieval town and Old Jewish Area. The ice on the cake is a visit to the Museum of the Jewish History. The bright colors of the houses by the river will welcome you to Gerona. This is a twice-millenarian city and to stroll around its streets will make you travel back in time. Gerona has one of the best medieval centers in Catalonia. Besides, it was the home of an important Jewish community, who enriched the social, political, cultural and economic life of the city.

26 This guided tour to discover Gerona proposes you to stroll along the La Força Street, the former roman cardus, you ll see the Cathedral and its impressive nave, which is 22 meters wide, you ll walk around the city walls and you ll visit the Arabian Baths. The third part of the tour is a visit to the Jewish Museum. La Força Street, Main artery of the Jewish quarter of Gerona, the old Roman road built on a much older road called by Greeks: Hercules Way. Gerona Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria, is located at the highest point in the city and has the widest Gothic nave in the world. The strategic location of Gerona, as a frontier town and the passage of defending armies and invaders to other lands, conditioned the construction of the Wall of Gerona, a Carolingian defensive stone building located in the city.

27 Arabian Baths, Singular Romanesque building inspired by the Roman Baths and whose elements are the most impressive room in the entrance, for a locker and rest room and covered with a dome ring, and dome, set on slender columns and beautifully ornamented capitals, the crown central pool. Jewish Museum is an emblematic place in the center of the Gerona s Call. This museum is housed in what was the last synagogue in the city. What s included? Private tour with a local expert guide (9 hours), entrances fees to Dali Museum, Gerona Cathedral, Arabian Baths and Jewish Museum, MB E Class for transportation. What s not included? Meals & Drinks, Souvenirs. The price for this optional tour for 2 people is: $ USD.

28 May 23 rd, at 12:00PM, Transfer in a MB E Class from your Hotel to Barcelona Port. Your chauffeur will ask for you at the reception desk. The price for this itinerary for 2 people is: $ 6,750 USD.