Itinerary

Day 1:
Thu. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2:
Fri. ARRIVAL IN MADRID, SPAIN. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to start exploring lively Madrid. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. (D)

Day 3:
Sat. MADRID. Not only is Madrid the capital of Spain, but because it is situated 2,180 feet above sea level, the Spanish rightly say it is the nearest thing to heaven. This morning, enjoy the main highlights on the included guided sightseeing excursion. Later, maybe join an optional excursion to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen. (B)

Day 4:
Sun. MADRID–SARAGOSSA–BARCELONA. This morning, enjoy vistas of the Spanish countryside as you drive northeast to Saragossa, situated on the banks of the River Ebro, for a short visit. Later, head towards Catalonia’s lively and beautiful capital, Barcelona. (B,D)

Day 5:
Mon. BARCELONA. Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes a drive around Montjuich to see the Olympic Stadium and a great panoramic view of the port and city. The drive continues to the city center to Plaza Catalunya and Paseo de Gracia to admire the greatness and eccentricity of Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces in the Houses Battlo and Mila and the Sagrada Familia (entrance fees not included). (B)

Day 6:
Tue. BARCELONA. Today, enjoy the included visit to Montserrat, situated 4,055 feet above sea level in a mountain range composed of strikingly pink conglomerate, a form of sedimentary rock and site of a Benedictine abbey which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat Sanctuary, patron of Catalonia. The monastery was founded in 1025 and the current sanctuary dates from 592. Time to stroll around the picturesque squares and streets before your visit to a local wine cellar to enjoy some wine tasting. A scenic drive along the Costa Dorada brings you back to Barcelona for an overnight. (B)

Day 7:
Wed. BARCELONA–AVIGNON, FRANCE. Leave Spain this morning and head for the Spanish-French border. En-route, visit Carcassonne, the most medieval-looking city in the whole of France. Fortifications, ramparts, castle walls, drawbridges, and much else from the Middle Ages are still well preserved and certainly worth seeing. Later, overnight in Avignon. (B,D)

Day 8:
Thu. AVIGNON. EXCURSION TO AIX-EN-PROVENCE. This morning, visit the Roman amphitheater in Arles, the most famous of all the Provence towns, known the world over by the paintings of Van Gogh. This afternoon is dedicated to Aix-en-Provence, one of France’s most elegant cities. Explore its center on foot, stroll along shaded Cours Mirabeau, admire its famous cafés and fountains, discover colorful squares, or barter with the locals at the quaint flea market on Place de Verdun. Also enjoy some wine tasting at a local cellar. Return to overnight in Avignon. (B)

Day 9:
Fri. AVIGNON–PARIS. Start the day with an included visit of the Palace of the Popes, seat of the papacy from 1309 to 1377 instead of Eternal Rome. Later, free time to explore the center of Avignon and view its famous St. Bénézet Bridge. In the afternoon, board the TGV train grande vitesse for the journey to Paris. (B)

Day 10:
Sat. PARIS. Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts with an inside visit to Notre Dame Cathedral, then on to many of the bestknown Parisan sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to see the most famous Parisian sights. To celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

Day 11:
Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Dates & Prices

Visits to Saragossa, Montserrat, Carcassonne, Arles, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
Sat. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2:
Sun. ARRIVAL IN MADRID, SPAIN. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to start exploring lively Madrid. Tonight, meetyour Tour Director and fellow travelers. (D)

Day 3:
Mon. MADRID. Of the Spanish capital, situated 2,180 feet above sea level, the Spaniards say it’s the nearest thing to heaven. You’ve only a day here and it’s certainly worth making the most of it by joining the included guided sightseeing tour: a full panoramic drive by way of the Avenida Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Parliament Square, and a picture stop outside the Royal Palace. The optional trip to Toledo is most rewarding, too. The splendid setting of this old walled city above the Tagus was made famous in El Greco’s painting, and even now it’s like a great open-air museum of Spanish history and art. (B)

Day 4:
Tue. MADRID-AVILA-COIMBRA, PORTUGAL. West for a visit to fortified Avila with its many towers. Next is Salamanca, just six miles from the spot where Wellington routed Napoleon’s army in 1812. Make sure you spend some time wandering around Plaza Mayor, the grandest square in Spain. Across the frontier to Guarda, the highest town in Portugal. From here descend to the valleys of the Serra da Estrela to Coimbra for overnight. (B,D)

Day 5:
Wed. COIMBRA-FATIMA-LISBON. This morning enjoy your orientation tour of Coimbra, celebrated for its beauty and ancient university. Later, travel southwards to Batalha with a visit to its beautifully sited monastery. Today’s penultimate highlight is a visit to the Sanctuary of Fatima. A sterner and more desolate landscape accompanies you to Lisbon for your overnight in Portugal’s capital. A stop en-route includes a wine bodega and some wine tasting. (B)

Day 6:
Thu. LISBON. Henry the Navigator made Lisbon the 15th-century mistress of the seas. On the included tour see his monument, the Belem Tower, the Moorish Citadel, and the impressive Black Horse Square. Spend the afternoon in the Alfama’s tile-decorated streets, or take an optional excursion to coastal Estoril and Cascais. (B)

Day 7:
Fri. LISBON-SEVILLE, SPAIN. From the rolling plains of the Alentejo with its woodlands of cork and eucalyptus trees, southwards all the way to the brilliant light of Andalucia. Admire its neat white-painted villages and sun-drenched plantations of olives, figs, and almonds, while traveling by way of Beja into magnificent Seville. (B,D)

Day 8:
Sat. SEVILLE. At leisure in one of Spain’s most colorful cities. Perhaps you’d like to spend this morning enjoying an optional sightseeing tour including the main highlights of this vibrant city. (B)

Day 9:
Sun. SEVILLE-FERRY TO MOROCCO-FEZ. An interesting drive today which starts with views of the sherry wine region before reaching the coast for embarkation on the ferry to Morocco. Next, motor south along what was once northern Africa’s infamous Barbary Coast. Join the new motorway for the drive southwards, then west, bypassing Meknes for two overnights in Fez. (B,D)

Day 10:
Mon. FEZ. At leisure in ancient Fez, which occupies a position of outstanding scenic beauty and is blessed with an ample supply of water. This morning visit the Medina on the included sightseeing tour and watch the crowds of Berbers in their flowing robes as they buy and sell their goods, accompanied by veiled women. (B)

Day 11:
Tue. FEZ-MIDDLE ATLAS-MARRAKESH. Enjoy glimpses of North African village life reminiscent of Beau Geste while motoring through the Middle Atlas on your way to Marrakesh. (B,D)

Day 12:
Wed. MARRAKESH. The highlight of this morning is the included city sightseeing. You’ll really feel as if you’ve stopped the march of time. Marrakesh has always been a meeting place—first just a group of nomad tents, now a bustling city. An optional evening excursion will be a fitting choice to end the day. (B)

Day 13:
Thu. MARRAKESH-CASABLANCA-RABAT. This morning drive northwest from the heartland of Morocco by way of Settat, to reach the most western of all Moroccan cities—Casablanca. Stop here awhile. Later in the afternoon continue by way of the motorway northwards to Rabat, Morocco’s capital for city sightseeing and an overnight. (B,D)

Day 14:
Fri. RABAT-FERRY CROSSING TO SPAIN-GRANADA. Today an early departure retraces your steps northwards for the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to mainland Spain, and drive directly to the heart of Andalucia to reach Granada for an overnight. (B,D)

Day 15:
Sat. GRANADA-MADRID. Take advantage of the included visit with a Local Guide of the Alhambra, a summer complex built by the Moorish kings. You’ll treasure the memory of its architectural beauty, dazzling ceilings, and magnificent gardens. This afternoon drive into the very heart of La Mancha, famed for its castle and windmills. Overnight in Madrid. (B)

Day 16:
Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT SPAIN ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Dates & Prices

Visits to Avila, Salamanca, Coimbra, Batalha, Fatima, Portuguese wine bodega, Seville, Casablanca
 

Itinerary

Day 1:
Thu. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2:
Fri. ARRIVAL IN CASABLANCA, MOROCCO. Check into your hotel. Later, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 3:
Sat. CASABLANCA-RABAT-MEKNES-FEZ. A short ride along the coast to Rabat, once a lair of the corsairs and now the country’s capital. Sightseeing includes the Royal Palace, Hassan Tower, and the Casbah of Ouidais. You are reminded of the time when Morocco was the Roman province of Mauretania as you visit the fine Roman Relics of Chellah and its gardens. Next stop, Meknes—see its monumental gates, mosques, palaces, and miles of protective walls. Travel east towards Fez, Morocco’s most enchanting city. (B,D)

Day 4:
Sun. FEZ. At leisure in ancient Fez, which occupies a position of outstanding scenic beauty and is blessed with an ample supply of water. Visit the Medina on the optional sightseeing tour and watch the crowds of Berbers in their flowing robes as they buy and sell their goods, accompanied by veiled women. (B)

Day 5:
Mon. FEZ-ERFOUD. Travel today into the very heart of Morocco. Morning break in the quiet, French-built alpine resort of Ifrane. Verdant cedar forests give way to volcanic mountains and wind-swept plains as you motor across the Middle Atlas range to Midelt. Pass fortified mud-and-straw villages. Descend into the spectacular Ziz Gorges and arrive in Er-Rachidia, an important crossroad once controlled by the French Foreign Legion. Afterwards, the landscape becomes progressively more arid, and you enter a stony desert. On your last stretch to Erfoud, an unexpected and breathtaking surprise: the miraculous and peaceful oasis of Ziz Valley. (B,D)

Day 6:
Tue. ERFOUD. The best choice today is an included excursion to Rissani to see the Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Sharif, the first ruler of the Alawite Dynasty. (B,D)

Day 7:
Wed. ERFOUD-THE ROAD OF A THOUSAND KASBAHS-OUARZAZATE. Enjoy the drive through the eastern slopes of the Atlas Mountains and arrive at the Tinerhir oasis with its green valley of palms and local villages. Drive north to the impressive Todra Gorge, then west along the Du Dades Valley to the film capital of Morocco, Ouarzazate, for an overnight stay. (B,D)

Day 8:
Thu. OUARZAZATE-AIT BANNADDOU-TIZI-N-TICHKA PASS-MARRAKESH. Enjoy an orientation drive this morning in Ouarzazate, famous for its film studios and a visit of the Kasbah de Taorirt. Next to Ait Bannaddou, a Kasbah famous as a film location. Pass through picturesque villages surrounded by craggy mountains while motoring towards the 7,414-foot-high Tizin- Tichka Pass in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains. Each new twist in the road leads to a different, more dramatic landscape. Leaving the pass behind, the landscape gradually changes to a green mantle. Afternoon arrival in the red-colored imperial city of Marrakesh, justly reputed the most fascinating of all Moroccan cities. (B,D)

Day 9:
Fri. MARRAKESH. The highlight this morning is the included city sightseeing. You’ll really feel as if you’ve stopped the march of time. Marrakesh has always been a meeting place—first just a group of nomad tents, now a bustling city. An optional evening excursion will be a fitting choice to end the day. (B)

Day 10:
Sat. MARRAKESH-CASABLANCA. Leave Morocco’s magical city of Marrakesh for the journey northwest back to Casablanca. In the afternoon see the sights in the company of a Local Guide. (B,D)

Day 11:
Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Dates & Prices

Visits to Fez, Ifrane, Erfoud, Rissani, Ouarzazate, Ait Bannaddou Kasbah