TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Arrival. Transfer to the hotel.
Welcome to Europe!!!. On arrival at the airport we shall be waiting to transfer you to the hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts, information about the meeting place and start time can be found on the information boards in the hotel reception area.


IMPORTANT - IF YOU REQUESTED ADDITIONAL NIGHTS on arrival at the hotel you will have your booking made but the guide of your trip will normally not arrive until the start of the included activities. YOUR TIME BEFORE THIS MOMENT IS THEREFORE FREE. At your hotel they can help you with all the information you need.


NB: The schedules you will find in this itinerary are approximate. The guide, depending on the situation and in order to improve the development of the circuit, may adjust the schedules.

Barcelona.

Highlights: Barcelona Guided tour lasting 3 hours; visit to “Poble Espanyol”, with admission included; transfer to Plaza de Cataluña and the Ramblas.


09:00h.- Tour of the city with a local guide (note: if the group has fewer than fifteen people, explanations can be given by our guide) who will tell us about this exciting city on the shores of the Mediterranean. We will visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic neighborhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the Olympic Games took place. It will be possible to see and photograph La Sagrada Familia basilica; the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí.


Subsequently, we include the entry ticket to “Poble Espanyol” (meaning, Spanish Village), an open-air museum that combines the art, traditions, architecture, arts and crafts and folklore of each of the Spanish regions. Time for lunch. Free afternoon.


18:30h.- Transfer to Plaza de Cataluña and the Ramblas, the heart of the city, where there are many restaurants where you can dine. Return to hotel.

Barcelona - Peniscola - Valencia.-

Total distance: 375km
Highlights: Visit Peniscola, sightseeing of Valencia. Evening transfer.
Scenery: Picturesque towns on the Mediterranean coast.


08:00h Barcelona – Departure for the Region of Valencia.
10:45h Peñiscola – Our guide will tell you about this tiny walled city on the sea shore, which has an interesting history. We will visit the fishing harbour, the castle and the beach and spend some free time.


12:30h Peñiscola – Departure for Valencia.
14:30 h Valencia – Arrival and time for lunch. In the afternoon, with a local guide we will include a visit to the third largest Spanish city that mixes the modern with the historical. We will know its historic center, the fish market, the cathedral and also the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences, the most important modern tourist site in the city.


18:00h- Evening transfer to the Bullring area. In this area you will have time to dine in line with your preferences (Spanish, Indian, International, etc) . Return to hotel about 21.00 hrs.

Valencia - Alicante - Caravaca de la Cruz - Granada.

Total distance: 536 km
Scenery: Presence of the sea. Fertile orchards and semi -deserts. Mountains in Andalucia.


08.30 hrs- Valencia – We set out for the Region of Alicante.
10.45 hrs- Alicante- Time to stroll in this active and very pleasant city by the sea.


14.00 hrs- Alicante departure- After lunch we go on our way to the Murcia region.
16.00 hrs- Caravaca – Free time to visit this small town, considered a Holy City by the Roman Catholic Church. Its church holds a relic of Christ’s Cross. We include a ride up to the historic area on the tourist train.


17.00 hrs- Caravaca – We leave the city and pass through beautiful Andalusian scenery.
20.30 hrs Granada – Arrival at the end of the day.

Granada.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Visit the Alhambra. Night transfer.

We will have a full day in GRANADA. In the afternoon we will visit with a local guide the immense Alhambra Palace and its beautiful Generalife gardens, built in Arab times.


19.00 hrs.-In the evening we will visit the Albaicín district of Granada, a World Heritage site as is the Alhambra, where you can have dinner in the narrow winding streets of this captivating Medieval Moorish quarter. At night, you will have the option to attend a flamenco dance show in the traditional neighbourhood of Sac­romonte.


IMPORTANT NOTE: The maximum number of people allowed to visit the Alhambra is limited by the local government. Given that the number of tickets assigned to tour operators is small, and we are only given the confirmed number one month before your arrival, even if you buy the trip with the ticket included we cannot guarantee entrance to the Alhambra. In such event, we would offer entry to the Reales Alcázares in Seville, which is similar. As with the Alhambra visit, the group would be led by a local guide of the city of Granada.

IMPORTANT NOTE: to enter the Alhambra, it is mandatory to present the passport as ID.

Granada - Asilah - Rabat.

Distance travelled: 530 km.

Landscapes: We follow the Costa del Sol with views over the Mediterranean Sea and cross the Straits of Gibraltar. Our journey continues along areas adjoining the Moroccan coast.

INSTRUCTIONS: Do not forget your passport, you will need it at the border. Depending on the time of year, the time in Morocco is 1 or 2 hours behind Spain. Your guide will tell you when to change the time, and will confirm the time difference.
Please note: During the crossing between Spain and Morocco, you must carry your own luggage.


07:30 hrs Granada. Departure. Stunning views over the Mediterranean.
11:45 hrs Algeciras-Tarifa -Arrival-. We board a ferry and cross the Straits of Gibraltar, crossing into Africa on a modern boat. The crossing takes approximately 1.5 hours (we suggest that you have lunch on board). Arrival in the port of Tangiers. Customs and border procedures (there are sometimes delays). We continue to Asilah, a small walled city facing the sea. Time for lunch and a stroll through its beautiful walled medina.

16:30 hrs -Departure- Asilah. Continue via the motorway to Rabat, the diplomatic capital of the city, with its special charm.
19:30 hrs- Rabat- Arrival, dinner and accommodation.

Rabat - Casablanca - Marrakech.

Total distance travelled: 350 km.

Landscapes: As we continue inland, the landscapes become progressively drier, and are almost desert upon reaching Marrakech.


08:00 hrs We start the sightseeing tour of the Kingdom´s capital. This city is one of the most beautiful in the country. We visit the imposing Oudaia Fort, the Hassan Tower where the mausoleum of King Mohammed V is located, the Andalusian walls, the outside of the Royal Palace and the modern neighborhoods where the embassies are situated. Following our tour, free time.


12:00 hrs - Rabat - Departure.
13.15 hrs - Casablanca - Arrival. Brief introductory tour of this modern city with a local guide. We visit the exterior of the immense Mosque of Hassan II; the second largest mosque in the Muslim world (after Mecca). Short stop at the Corniche for lunch.


15.30 hrs.- Casablanca, departure towards Marrakech.
18.45 hrs - Marrakech -Arrival. Upon arrival, we include a 40 minute tour in Kalesas (horse drawn carriages) to visit the famous Djemaa El Fna market square, which is brimming with activity at this time of the day. We continue to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Marrakech.

08:15 hrs We start with a sightseeing tour of the city. Located among hundreds of palm trees and surrounded by ochre walls, this exotic city brims with activity and life. We return to the Jemaa El Fna square, Koutoubia Mosque, the Jewish Quarter and the Bahia Palace. Lunch at the hotel included and free afternoon. At night, we recommend attending the Fantasia dinner show where you can experience the rich and varied folklore of Morocco.

Marrakech - Ait Benhadou - Ourzazate - Boulmane Dades.

Total distance travelled: 300 km. Landscapes: Incredibly beautiful. We cross the Atlas mountains and pass by beautiful villages perched on the mountainsides.
Please note: Do not forget to keep your camera handy. We also recommend warm clothes for the mountains.




08:00 hrs - Marrakech - Departure. We begin a beautiful part of the journey, crossing the high mountains of the Atlas, a natural barrier of the Sahara desert. En route, we stop at a high mountain village.
13:30 hrs - Ait Benhaddou - Arrival in this fortified adobe-built town, which is a World Heritage Site, where many films have been shot due to its incredible landscape backdrop. Time for lunch and a stroll among its mud houses.


15:00 hrs - Ait Benhadou -Departure-
15:30 hrs - Ouarzazate A desert city with an imposing fortress, whose oldest part is also a World Heritage Site.


16:30 hrs - Ouarzazate- Departure. We continue through desert plains and valley oases.
18:00 hrs - Boulmane Dades. You can enjoy the facilities at our hotel. Dinner and accommodation.


Please note: In very exceptional cases, it may happen that, due to bad weather, the road through the Atlas is cut off (with snow or flash floods). In this is the case, Europamundo will arrange the following alternative route: FRIDAY: Marrakech-Essaouira / SATURDAY: Essaouira-Safi-El Jadida-Meknes / SUNDAY: Meknes-Fez.

Boulmane Dades - Todgha - Khorbat - Erfoud.

Distance traveled: 280 km.

Landscapes: Extremely beautiful, following the so-called "Valley of the Kasbahs"; and an area with biblical landscapes.
Tip: Wear comfortable footwear. Are you carrying a book you have finished reading? Maybe you would consider donating it to the library that we are creating in Tinejad?




07.15 hrs - Boulmane Dades - Departure. We follow the Valley of the Kasbahs; adobe fortresses that protected the crops and villages from attacks from other nomadic tribes. Breathtaking oases and palm groves, where we glimpse delightful adobe-built villages.
09.00 hrs - Todra Gorge. A deep canyon cuts through the Atlas Mountains amidst one of the most beautiful areas of Morocco. We include free time to enjoy this beautiful landscape (sometimes, following intense rain, we cannot access the gorges due to flooding of the rivers).




09.45 hrs Todra Gorge -Departure-. The predominance of the desert becomes ever more marked as we progress along this part of our journey.
10.45 hrs- Ksar el Khorbat -If time does not prevent it (access road), we stop at this adobe/oasis town with which the Europamundo Foundation is collaborating. You will be able to learn about the lives of the desert peoples in these impressive fortified villages.




11.45 hrs Ksar el Khorbat -Departure-.
14.00 hrs - Erfoud -Arrival-. Lunch at the hotel. Relax in the gardens and pool at this desert hotel. Our tour guide will propose an optional excursion in all-terrain vehicles across the Merzouga sand dunes, with dinner included on the dunes: an unforgettable landscape and experience.

Erfoud - Fes.

Total distance covered: 425 km.

Landscapes: Very beautiful scenery of the Atlas, passing into more verdant areas covered by forests.




08:00 hrs - Erfoud - Departure. We recommence crossing the Atlas, and follow the extremely beautiful Ziz Valley (with gazelles), which is the world´s largest oasis and includes 1.5 million date palms. We continue upstream until we reach the cool highlands where it often snows in wintertime. Stop en route for lunch.


Arrival in Fez at about 16:00 hrs. Then we have a visit that includes the Jewish quarter, the bronze doors of the Royal Palace, and a panoramic view to take wonderful photographs of the old city. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Fez - Tangier.-

Total distance: 315km
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Guided city tour of Fes. Admission prices included. Dinner is included.


08.00hrs- We leave the hotel to discover Fes with an informative scenic tour with a local guide.
We conclude the visit by including lunch in an ancient palace in the Medina district.


14.00hrs- At the beginning of the afternoon, we depart towards the north of Morocco. Fields of olive trees and wheat in the valleys of the Rif. Fertile areas of sugar cane and fruit trees.


19.15hrs- Arrival in Tangier in the middle of the afternoon. Dinner included and hotel accommodation

Tangier - Seville.

Distance covered by road: 280 km.

Landscapes: Amazing views over the cliffs and Straits. Pleasant scenery of white villages in Andalusia.
WARNING: Remember to keep your passport handy.
PLEASE NOTE: The ferry departure time varies depending on the season. Border formalities may involve delays. Returning to Spain, you will have to put your clocks forward by 1 or 2 hours (depending on time of year). Your guide will advise you about the change.


At about 11:00 hrs (variable), we shall depart from the port of Tangier. Boarding formalities. Each traveller must carry their bags and hand luggage, as required by the Spanish national security authorities. Crossing of approximately one hour. We suggest having lunch on the ferry.


Arrival in Algeciras/Tarifa. Our journey continues through beautiful white villages.


20.30 hrs Seville. -Arrival.

Seville.-

Highlights: Guided visit with local expert in Seville. Boat trip along the river Guadalquivir. Evening transfer.


After breakfast, a local expert guides you through a scenic visit of Sevilla (if the English-speaking group is fewer than fifteen people, the tour can be conducted in both English and Spanish). Lasting one hour and a half featuring the Cathedral and the Giralda, Plaza de España, the beautiful banks of the river Guadalquivir, the Golden Tower, the districts of Santa Cruz and Triana, the Maestranza Bullring, and Cartuja Island. After the tour, we will include a boat trip along the river Guadalquivir, enjoying the panoramic views from the boat. Enjoy leisure time straight afterwards or the tours to the Cathedral or the Flamenco Show that will be offered as optionals by your guide.


At the end of the afternoon, we will go to the historic city centre area (calle Alfonso XII) where many different restaurants can be found. You can choose your favorite cuisine: Indian, Halal, Chinese, Spanish, International and so on. Return to the hotel.

Seville - Jerez de los Caballeros- Monsaraz - Evora - Lisbon.

Total distance: 460 km
HIGHLIGHTS: a beautiful scenery where we will visit walled villages. Evora Chapel of bones.
Scenery: Attractive landscapes of white-painted villages, mountain ranges and castles.

Note: In Portugal we must set our watches back one hour.


08.15 hrs.- We will leave Seville and journey toward western Andalusia. Eye-pleasing landscapes will greet us en route amidst the hills and olive groves as we enter Extremadura.
11.00 hrs.- JEREZ DE LOS CABALLEROS, we will make a stop in this town that once belonged to the Knights Templar and where Vasco Nuñez de Balboa was born.

13.00 hrs- Jerez de los Caballeros. We will continue our trip and enter Portugal.
13.30 (14.30 hrs in Spain) - MONSARAZ, one of the most picturesque villages in Portugal with fortified walls, a castle, great views and white-painted streets brimming with flowerpots. Time to have lunch.
15.00 hrs.- Monsaraz- Departure.

16.00 hrs.- EVORA, a city declared a World Heritage Site thanks to its white-painted streets, Renaissance palaces and cathedral. We will also visit the impressive Chapel of Bones (admission included), which was built using the bones from over 5000 skeletons!
18.00 hrs- Evora- Departure.
20.00 hrs.- LISBON- We will arrive toward the end of the day.

Lisbon.-

Highlights- Comprehensive tour of Lisbon. Night transfer to Restauradores Square.


09:00h.- Start of our tour with a local guide. We visit traditional neighborhoods, which take in the Belem district, which is the birthplace of the great Portuguese navigators who sailed the oceans in the fifteen century. We shall look round the Monument to the Discoveries, Belem Tower and to the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The afternoon is free so that you can explore this great city independently.




18:00h.-At the end of the afternoon, we include transportation to Restauradores Square , full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes from where you can take the "Elevador da Gloria" (not included) that brings you to the Upper district and its viewpoint of San Pedro with beautiful views over Lisbon and the Bairro Alto.
Return to hotel.

Lisbon - Fatima - Madrid.-

Total distance: 695 km.
Scenery: Forests, small mountains, walled villages




Note: There is an hour difference between Spain and Portugal. When in Portugal is 11 hrs in Spain is 12 hrs.


07:30 hrs. - Lisboa – departure. We Travel to the north of Portugal.
09:15 hrs. - Fátima – Time to know this important Sanctuary.

10:30 hrs. - Fátima – Departure. We will continue on our way through the Green lands of the centre, passing into Spain and over the grasslands we cross the north of Extremadura region.
Lunch included en route in a regional food restaurant. Continuation to MADRID.


20.30 hrs.- Madrid, arrival. We include transportation to Plaza Mayor where you can enjoy at some typical taverns.

Madrid.

Highlights: Guided tour and stroll through Retiro Park. Visit to Las Ventas Bullring (admission included) and transfer to Plaza del Oriente.


The day starts about 08.30 hrs with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor.


Visit to Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. Admission to Las Ventas Bullring included. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of “corridas” in the Bullfighting Museum.


Enjoy the rest of the afternoon.



At sunset we provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different exquisite cuisines (Indian, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Spanish, International) in which to enjoy a pleasant dinner. Return to hotel.

After breakfast, end of our services.