EUROPE-SPAIN & MOROCCO

DAY 01 : MADRID 
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.

DAY 02 : 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 03 : 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 04 : 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 05 : 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,D)

DAY 06 : LISBON-SEVILLE, SPAIN.
FROM THE ROLLING PLAINS OF THE ALENTEJO WITH ITS WOODLANDS OF CORK AND EUCALYPTUS TREES, SOUTHWARDS ALL THE WAY TO THE BLINDING LIGHT OF ANDALUSIA. ADMIRE ITS NEAT WHITE-PAINTED VILLAGES AND ITS SUN-DRENCHED PLANTATIONS OF OLIVES, FIGS, AND ALMONDS, WHILE TRAVELING BY WAY OF BEJA INTO MAGNIFICENT SEVILLE. (B,D) (B,D)

DAY 07 : SEVILLE
AT LEISURE IN ONE OF SPAIN’S MOST COLORFUL CITIES. YOUR OPTIONAL TOUR THIS MORNING FEATURES THE LARGEST CATHEDRAL IN SPAIN, THE GREAT GIRALDA TOWER WITH ITS INTRICATE MOORISH DECORATION, AND THE 12TH-CENTURY ALCAZAR, WHICH WAS ONCE A MOORISH ROYAL PALACE. (B)

DAY 08 : SEVILLE-RABAT, MOROCCO.
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 NORTH AFRICA’S INFAMOUS BARBARY COAST TO RABAT, MOROCCO’S BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL. (B,D)

DAY 9 : RABAT-CASABLANCA-MARRAKESH.
ENJOY THE MORNING ON THE INCLUDED CITY SIGHTSEEING OF RABAT. YOU’LL SEE ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDING THE KING’S GATE, THE FLOWER MARKET, THE HASSAN TOWER AND THE MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM. IN THE AFTERNOON DRIVE TO CASABLANCA, THE MOST WESTERN OF ALL MOROCCAN CITIES. STOP AWHILE BEFORE YOU MOTOR DEEPER INTO THE HEARTLAND OF MOROCCO AND, BY WAY OF SETTAR, REACH THIS COUNTRY’S MOST ENCHANTING CITY, MARRAKESH. (B,D)

DAY 10 : 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 11 : MARRAKESH-MIDDLE ATLAS-FEZ.
ENJOY THE MORNING ON THE INCLUDED CITY SIGHTSEEING OF RABAT. YOU’LL SEE ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDING THE KING’S GATE, THE FLOWER MARKET, THE HASSAN TOWER AND THE MOHAMMED V MAUSOLEUM. IN THE AFTERNOON DRIVE TO CASABLANCA, THE MOST WESTERN OF ALL MOROCCAN CITIES. STOP AWHILE BEFORE YOU MOTOR DEEPER INTO THE HEARTLAND OF MOROCCO AND, BY WAY OF SETTAR, REACH THIS COUNTRY’S MOST ENCHANTING CITY, MARRAKESH. (B,D)

DAY 12 : FEZ-CEUTA.
DURING YOUR MORNING OPTIONAL SIGHTSEEING TOUR VISIT THE MEDINA AND WATCH THE CROWDS OF BERBERS IN THEIR FLOWING ROBES, AS THEY BUY OR SELL THEIR GOODS, ACCOMPAINIED BY THEIR VEILED WOMEN. LEAVE THE IMPERIAL CITY HEADING NORTH THROUGH THE GHARB, MOROCCO’S MOST FERTILE AGRICULTURAL AREA. TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF THE RIF MOUNTAIN TO CHECHAOUEN, A TOWN WITH A STRONG HISPANIC FLAVOR. OVERNIGHT IN THE SPANISH ENCLAVE OF CEUTA, STRATEGICALLY LOCATED ON THE NORTH AFRICAN SIDE OF THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. (B,D)

DAY 13 : CEUTA-COSTA DEL SOL, SPAIN-GRANADA.
CROSS THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR TO MAINLAND SPAIN AND HERE START THE SCENIC DRIVE THROUGH SOME OF THE COSTA DEL SOL’S FAMOUS SEASIDE RESORTS TO MALAGA AND THEN WESTWARDS TO GRANADA FOR OVERNIGHT. (B,D)

DAY 14 : GRANADA-MADRID.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPTIONAL SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF THE ALHAMBRA, A SUMMER PALACE 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 CASTLES AND WINDMILLS. OVERNIGHT IN MADRID. (B)

DAY 15 :
YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)