Magnificent Madrid, Toledo and Segovia – NEW TOUR BY AIR

Equestrian statue of Philip III with Casa de la Panadería in the background at night ©César Lucas Abreu, Madrid Destino
The Sabatini Gardens with the Royal Palace in the background ©Paolo Giocoso, Madrid Destino
Alcala Street and Gran Via Avenue and the Metropolis Building ©Francisco Pinton©Madrid Destino
Segovia Aqueduct, Spain
Alcázar, Segovia, Spain
Equestrian statue of Philip III with Casa de la Panadería in the background, Plaza Mayor ©Paolo Giocoso, Madrid Destino

8 day tour

Prices on request

Madrid, Spain’s glamorous capital is a vibrant city with beautiful squares and parks as well as a lively street life. Stroll along the mighty Gran Vía Boulevard; gaze at the imposing Royal Palace or nearby stunning Cathedral. Additionally, enjoy a glass of Sangria in one of the many fine squares the city has to offer. Madrid is also a great base to explore the surrounding area which is full of cultural gems.

With medieval mansions, royal palaces and un-imagined angles of Spanish contemporary architecture, Madrid is a truly beautiful city. What’s more, with its 75 museums, Madrid is an Aladdin’s Cave for those interested in art. It boasts three internationally important art museums: El Prado, Reina Sofiá and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Masterpieces by home-grown talents such as Goya and Velázquez, as well as other Spanish painters such as Picasso, Dalí and Miró, now adorn the walls of the city’s world-class galleries. Madrid has also evolved into one of the richest culinary capitals with traditional markets showcasing some of the finest food in the land.

The Buen Retiro Park or the beautiful Botanical Gardens provide welcome shade and relaxation after a day sightseeing, or why not head to one of the many rooftop bars the city is famous for to watch the sun go down. And for the more sporty, no visit is complete without a trip to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium of Real Madrid!

Dates

March, April and October

Suggested itinerary by coach

Day 1

Depart the UK

Depart your local UK airport for the flight to Madrid. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel by coach. After check-in the rest of the day is at leisure. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner at the hotel this evening.

Day 2

City Sightseeing with Hop-on/Hop-off bus ticket – Prado Museum and Tapas Dinner Experience

Explore Madrid at your own pace and without any rush aboard a double-decker sightseeing bus. There are the options of two panoramic routes using the same ticket. Discover Madrid’s history through a headphone audio-system. Some of the major sights and attractions you may see include the Plaza de Puerta del Sol with its famous clock located in the heart of the city, the Plaza Mayor, a stunning square, the **Palacio Real, home of the Spanish monarchy and Palacio de Communicaciones, Madrid’s impressive main post office. See the remarkable architecture of the Gran Vía and the home of one of the most revered football teams in the world, Real Madrid, at the Santiago Bernabeau stadium.

After lunch, a visit is included to the Prado Museum, one of the best art galleries in the world. Marvel at its’ collection and follow your guide on a tour of the most important artworks it holds. See works such as The Garden of Earthly Delights!

After the visit, enjoy an early Tapas Tasting Dinner in a traditional Madrid restaurant before returning to the hotel.

OPTIONAL: Visits to the Tyssen-Bornemisza Art Gallery (free entrance on Mondays) or the Reina-Sofia Museum also possible.

Day 3

Full day tour Segovia and Ávila

A coach tour to two important and emblematic cities accompanied by a local experienced guide. Starting in Segovia, where an impressive Roman aquaduct with 167 arches marks the entrance to this fairy-tale Castilian city, with the Sierra de Guadarrama in the background. Enjoy a guided walking tour which includes the Cathedral and the spectacular Alcázar, a castle with hidden passageways that seems straight out of a novel. Together with the old quarter and the castle, the town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

From here, head to Ávila. Admire the impressive city walls visible from far away and are among the best-preserved and most complete in Europe. During a guided walking tour discover more of this medieval World Heritage City of cobbled streets, interesting churches and delicious local cuisine. See the cathedral which is attached to the city walls and the Convent of Santa Teresa, the symbol of the city. Ávila’s most famous sweet – yemas de Santa Teresa – is named after her.

Return to the hotel for dinner and evening at leisure

Day 4

Full day tour Toledo and Wine Tasting

Accompanied by a local experienced guide, Toledo is one of the most spectacular and multi-cultural cities in Spain and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the number of historic sights packed into the city. It is built on a natural granite outcrop, overlooked by a fortress and encircled by a steep water-filled ravine, namely the River Tagus. On a guided tour discover why the city is known as ‘The City of Three Cultures’. Walking through the old town and along the maze of narrow, winding lanes you pass churches, old houses and palaces. Important sights include the magnificent cathedral with its paintings by El Greco, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Town Hall and the Law Courts. An optional visit to the restored former home of El Greco is possible.

On the return to Madrid, we will visit a premium winery just outside Toledo for a tasting of three local wines and local savouries. Dinner is at the hotel this evening.

Day 5

Old Madrid, The Royal Palace and Flamenco Show

The best way to discover a city is to see it on foot and during a 2 hour guided walking tour discover the oldest part of the city and learn about its fascinating history. The tour includes a stop for ‘hot chocolate and churros’ and some ‘secret nun cookies’ from the convent Monasterio del Corpus Christi.

After some free time for lunch a visit is included to the Royal Palace which is actually double the size of Buckingham Palace! Built in an Italian baroque style, it was the former residence of the Spanish Monarchy from 1766-1931. Nowadays, it is still a great example of the establishment of Madrid as the capital of the kingdom.

This evening enjoy dinner followed by a passionate Flamenco Show featuring renowned artists.

OPTIONAL: Visit of the Liria Palace Museum also possible.

Day 6

Full day tour Royal Monastery and The Valley of the Fallen

Accompanied by an experienced guide we shall first visit the Royal Monastery of El Escorial, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the Hapsburg’s Palace, the King’s Mausoleum and the Basilica. (Note: there are many steps/stairs in the Monastery & Palace)

From here, make the short drive to The Valley of the Fallen (Valle de Cuelgamuros), a Spanish memorial commissioned by Francisco Franco to commemorate the Spanish Civil War, featuring the world’s tallest Christian Cross at 152 metre high that dominates the landscape of the Madrid mountains. A vast underground basilica carved into the rock includes a 262 meter long nave, 6 chapels and a 41 meter high dome and beneath the basilica are buried tens of thousands of war victims.

Return to the hotel for dinner and evening at leisure

Day 7

‘The Strawberry Train’ – Aranjuez, Royal Palace Gardens and Tagus River Cruise

Enjoy a 1 hour journey on the historic ‘Strawberry Train’ which starts from the Railway Museum in Madrid to Aranjuez, famous for it’s mouth-watering strawberries and which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The train will follow its original route when it opened in 1851 and was the first railway line in the region.

On arrival, enjoy a visit of the Royal Palace and a walking tour of the Parterre Gardens, one of the most splendid in the whole of Spain, before a boat trip on the River Tagus. Back on board the ‘Strawberry Train’ enjoy a taste of the famous strawberries en-route back to Madrid.

Return to the hotel for dinner and final evening in Madrid.

(Note: The train operates weekends only during March, April, May and October).

Day 8

Return to the UK

A coach will transfer you to Madrid airport for the flight back to the UK.

Greatdays can offer a selection of good hotels in Madrid

Departure date	Price per person	Single Supplement
March, April, October

All prices are per person based on sharing a double or twin room and with one free place in a single room, based on a minimum 30 full fare paying passengers. Prices do not include UK coach hire or travel insurance. Dates are subject to availability. Smaller groups can be quoted for on request. Greatdays Holidays Limited is a member of ABTA (Y0380) which means you have the benefit of ABTA's assistance and Code of Conduct. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. Greatdays Holidays Limited has an ATOL licence (4279) and all of our air package tours are protected under this licence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the Civil Aviation Authority will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any monies you have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this tour are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate. Our website policy is to use only copyright free images or images which have been authorised to us for free use by the owner. If you consider an image to be unauthorised or to be your property, please contact us immediately and if invalid we will have the image removed. If your image requires crediting or is missing a copyright statement then we will be pleased to add this to the webpage, contact us at info@greatdays.co.uk