Madrid & Andalusia

Your 24-hour Tour Director will meet you at the airport and remain with your group until your final airport departure. You’ll also have a private coach and driver while touring .

Life in Madrid is centered around talking, toasting and tapas-eating. In a walk through this crowded and social city, your Tour Director will help you get to know the lay of the land. Then stroll over to the Puerta del Sol, the bustling city center. Next, you'll relax at the Plaza Mayor, a grand square where every sort of human drama has taken place—trials of faith, public burnings of heretics, royal marriages, the canonization of saints, and countless balls and bullfights. End at the Plaza de España for a stop at an outdoor café.

Explore the Puerta del Sol, one of Madrid's busiest and most historic squares. While here we will view the Kilometre Zero marker, from which all distances in Spain are measured, and Madrid’s symbol, the Madrono.

Spend time in the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous square. Throughout its long history the square has hosted markets, bullfights, soccer games, public executions, and the Spanish Inquisition. It is now ringed by shops and cafés and is often filled with artists and musicians.

The Plaza de España is a popular place to gather in Central Madrid. It features a large monument to Miguel de Cervante, author of Don Quixote.

Get a taste of Spain's cultural, political and economic center with a tour led by a licensed local guide. See Madrid's mix of traditional and modern as you visit the Royal Palace, an 18th-century masterpiece. The enormous Baroque palace currently has more rooms (2,800) than any other European palace, but it was originally supposed to be four times as large. The palace is dripping with porcelain, jeweled clocks, amazing ceiling frescoes—the most magnificent, in the Throne Room, was done by the Venetian artist Tiepolo when he was in his seventies. Next take a look at the Neoclassical architecture of the Prado Museum and the Puerta de Alcalá triumphal arch, built to honor Carlos III’s entry into Spain.

Stroll down the Gran Via, Madrid’s lively signature boulevard featuring magnificent shopping and cafés.

The Fountain of Cybele, one of the most recognizable fountains in Madrid, depicts Cybele, a Phrygian earth and fertility deity.

See the Puerta de Alcalá, the ceremonial gateway to Madrid commissioned by Carlos III. The Neo-classical structure is located in the Plaza de Independencia and is named for the old path leading from Madrid to nearby Alcalá de Henares.

Browse through the 3,418 rooms in the largest palace in Europe. Art lovers will marvel at the walls lined with priceless paintings, but don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the Spanish royal family—they reside elsewhere.

Long the spiritual capital of Spain, Toledo still captures the heart with its spectacular surroundings of ochre-colored mountains. El Greco created some of his greatest works here, including his most famous painting, "The Burial of Count Orgaz." You’ll also see the city's cathedral, St. Mary's Synagogue, and the Church of Santo Tomé.

Walk to Toledo Cathedral, considered one of the greatest Gothic structures in Spain. The cathedral actually reflects several architectural styles and features many art treasures, including: the Transparente, a Last Supper in alabaster, El Greco's Twelve Apostoles, and works by Juan de Borgona. The Treasure Room features a 500-pound, 15th Century gilded monstrance, allegedly made with gold brought back from the New World by Colombus. It is still carried through the streets of Toledo during the feast of Corpus Christi.

Make a brief visit to the Iglesia de Santo Tomé, where you will view El Greco's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.

Visit The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, the oldest intact synagogue building in Europe. As it was constructed by the Christian Kingdom of Castile and designed by Islamic architects for Jewish use, it is considered a symbol of cooperation among the three religions.

Take interactive learning to another level with a Tour Director-led treasure hunt of Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most famous and most central square! Enjoy an after-dinner adventure, complete exciting activities and solve fun clues. Each clue and every activity is built to maximize on-tour experiential learning.

Granada was one of the last major strongholds of the Moors, whose influence is reflected in the design and architecture of the city. This beautiful city sits at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains, as well as the confluence of three rivers, and this geography drew Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Moors over its long and complex history.

Granada sits on three gentle hills, which are dwarfed on a clear day by the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Atop one of these hills sits the imposing but delicate Alhambra palace. Golden pink hues give this sprawling renaissance gateway an otherworldly aura. One of the best rewards of climbing up to see it is the view of the city mixed in with orchards, tobacco fields and poplar groves. Please note the guided tour will include entrance to the gardens and halls surrounding the palace but entrance to the main palace building may not be accessible at all times due to limited availability.

Take a guided sightseeing tour of Malaga, Picasso’s birthplace and a city known for its beaches and citadels. Stop at the town’s Renaissance-style cathedral and visit Museo Picasso, which contains an incredible 285 of Picasso’s original works. See one of the busiest ports of the mediterranean before heading to the colorful market and Gibralfaro castle, the hilltop fortification with a beautiful view of the city from above.

See the twisted alleyways and cobbled streets of this flamboyant Spanish city with a local guide. Discover the enchanting Plaza de España, the Giralda Tower, within the largest gothic cathedral in the world, and explore the Casa de Pilatos considered the prototype of the Andalusian palace.

Originating from gypsy music and dance in Southern Spain, flamenco dancing has become a Spanish institution. Dancers use intricate footwork and elaborate arm gestures to convey the mood of the music, which can range from lamentation to celebration. Learn about the history of Flamenco, watch dancers perform and give it a whirl yourself!

Hit the ruins. The birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian, Italica still flaunts the third-largest Roman amphitheater in the world and amazing ancient mosaics, many still being uncovered by archaeologists, ranging from simple geometric patterns to elaborate scenes of Neptune and the seasons.

The birthplace of emperors Trajan and Hadrian, Italica still flaunts the third-largest Roman amphitheater in the world and amazing ancient mosaics, many still being uncovered by archaeologists. Wander through the millennia-old streets and villas to see mosaics ranging from simple geometric patterns to elaborate scenes of Neptune and the seasons.

Tour Europe's smallest capital, a port city once the entrance point for exotic wares from the far-flung corners of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Now the city has a new vibrancy, with the opening of a new railway hub and the contrast of brash new modern buildings and restored medieval façades. Get lost in the Alfama, a maze of streets where houses are so close together, you can spread your arms and touch buildings on both sides of the street. Stroll the cobblestone pedestrian malls and Lisbon's main street, the Avenida da Liberdade. Get your portrait done by one of the sidewalk artists. See the new bridge, Ponte Vasco da Gama (built for Expo '98), which spans the Tagus river. Shop for handcrafts. Lisbon remains one of the best places to buy hand-made goods from around the world-embroidery, ceramics, silver, and tiles.

Tour the Jerónimos Monastery, a monastery ordered by Manuel the Fortunate to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyage to India. The monastery is one of Portugal’s finest examples of Manueline architecture that combines flamboyant Gothic and Moorish influences with elements of the nascent Renaissance. The church features tombs of many of the great figures in Portuguese history, including Vasco da Gama.

Portugal's version of the Blues, Fado means "fate" or "destiny," and its songs generally tell the tale of lost love or glory. Head to a Fado house in the Bairro Alto and see the singers swathed in black, accompanied by 12-stringed guitars, crooning their hearts out.