Spain and Andalusia Tour

Arriving in Madrid

We meet at the AJet counter in the international departures terminal of Ankara Esenboğa Airport, 3 hours before the flight. After check-in and passport control we board AJet flight VF 605, departing at 08.45 for Madrid. We land at 11.40 local time and set off in our waiting vehicle. Our panoramic city tour begins.

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is one of the country's most visited cities thanks to its long history and cultural wealth. Our city tour passes the bullring (from outside), the Alcalá Gate and Independence Square, the Cibeles Fountain, Gran Vía, the Bernabéu Stadium, Plaza de Castilla, Atocha Station and the Prado Museum (from outside). We also see Plaza de España with its statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, the Royal Palace (from outside), Plaza Mayor with its 9 gates, and Puerta del Sol.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

From Toledo into Andalusia

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Seville. On the way, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour to Toledo (70 Euro). About 70 kilometres from Madrid, Toledo is a historic city under UNESCO protection, shaped by the many cultures of the Iberian Peninsula and carrying traces of Roman, Visigothic, Muslim and Christian civilisations. Its medieval architecture makes it feel like an open-air museum. In its narrow streets we see Toledo Cathedral (from outside), described as the oldest cathedral in Spain, and churches converted from mosques of the Andalusian era.

Our next stop is Seville, the capital of Andalusia. Sevilla, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, is an Andalusian city known for its history and culture. Our city tour begins in María Luisa Park, home to Plaza de España, and at Plaza de América. We see Seville Cathedral (from outside), the third largest in the world and the resting place of Christopher Columbus, and next to it the Giralda, the last surviving part of the mosque from the Andalusian Umayyad era on which the cathedral was built. The Alcázar, palace of the Castilian kings (from outside), is also on our route.

We then pass the Archive of the Indies, where the records of every sea voyage to the Americas were kept from the age of discovery to the 19th century, and enter the narrow streets of Santa Cruz, the heart of old Seville. Our walk ends at the old tobacco factory, now the main campus of the University of Seville, and the Torre del Oro (Golden Tower), today a naval museum.

We then continue to Écija, where our city tour begins on arrival. Écija, in the province of Seville, is known as "the Peacock of Andalusia" or "the City of Towers" and is famous for its Baroque architecture. As Astigi it was an important centre of the Roman province of Hispania Ulterior, and it remained a cultural and economic hub under the Andalusian Umayyads. Its streets are lined with Baroque palaces, churches and tall bell towers, and the 18th century churches of Santa María and San Juan are fine examples of Baroque art. In its narrow lanes we find traces of both the Roman and the Islamic past.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Cordoba, Mijas and Malaga

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Córdoba, Mijas and Málaga (140 Euro). After a 1.5-hour drive we reach Córdoba, where the Guadalquivir greets us first. We walk across the historic Roman Bridge and enter the city through the Roman Gate. With our guide we visit the Mosque-Cathedral, the symbol of this 2000-year-old city and one of the largest mosques in the world, rising on 850 columns. We then explore the old streets, the historic inn and the houses of Córdoba on foot.

Our second stop is Mijas, a whitewashed mountain village in the province of Málaga, close to the Costa del Sol. Its historic core, Mijas Pueblo, looks like a postcard with narrow lanes, flower-filled balconies and white houses. Its roots go back to Roman and even Phoenician times, but its present character was largely shaped in the Andalusian era. The small bullring at the top of the village and the remains of Mijas Castle are its most striking sights.

Our last stop is Málaga, birthplace of Pablo Picasso. Paseo del Parque, Plaza de la Merced, the Jewish Quarter, Constitution Square and Calle Larios, the port (Puerto Marina), the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro Castle are among the sights. After the tour we return to our hotel in Écija. Overnight at the hotel.

Granada and the Alhambra

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Granada, where our city tour begins on arrival. Granada, in the heart of Andalusia, is one of Spain's leading destinations, famous for its heritage, music, dance, views and the Alhambra. Our city tour covers Gran Vía, the Bib-Rambla and City Hall squares, Granada Cathedral (from outside), the Madraza, the city's first university, the Silk Market and the old Nasrid caravanserai.

Afterwards, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of the Alhambra (80 Euro). The palace has a daily visitor limit, so depending on availability the visit may take place with the harem excluded. If you would like to join, please let us know when you book. One of the finest examples of Andalusian Islamic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Alhambra was begun in the 13th century as a fortress and palace on the Sabika Hill above Granada, and building continued into the 15th century. Its name, meaning "the Red", comes from the red earth used in its construction.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. In the evening, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Albaicín and Sacromonte (60 Euro). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Albaicín is a quarter of narrow lanes, whitewashed houses and hilltop views that keeps Granada's history and its Andalusian Islamic heritage alive. We then watch a gypsy show over a drink in hand-carved caves and get a close look at the local way of life. After the tour we return to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Valencia to Barcelona

After breakfast at the hotel we set off for Valencia, where our city tour begins on arrival. Set on the Mediterranean, Valencia is Spain's third largest city, where history and modern life sit side by side. Our city tour takes in the City Hall, the Gothic Cathedral, the bullring, the City of Arts and Sciences, the historic Mercado Central market and the old Silk Exchange.

We then continue to Barcelona for our city tour. Barcelona, Spain's second largest city and the capital of Catalonia, draws millions of visitors every year with its history, art, food and nightlife on the Mediterranean. The works of Antoni Gaudí turn the city into an open-air museum. Our city tour takes in La Sagrada Familia, the Columbus Monument, La Rambla, Plaza de España and Plaça de Catalunya, the Andalusian Arena and the Olympic Port.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Poble Espanyol and Catalonia

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Poble Espanyol and Montjuïc Hill (30 Euro). Built for the 1929 World Fair, Poble Espanyol (the Spanish Village) has 117 buildings, streets and squares that gather the architecture of Spain's regions in one place. Walking its lanes, we visit craft workshops where ceramicists, glassmakers, leatherworkers and jewellers are at work. We then go up Montjuïc, the hill that overlooks the city and was transformed for the 1992 Olympic Games, for a photo stop.

After the photo stop, guests who wish can join the optional extra Pearls of Catalonia tour (120 Euro), covering Girona, Figueres, the Dalí Museum, Park Güell and the Gothic Quarter. Our first stop is Girona, about 100 kilometres north of Barcelona, known for its medieval lanes, historic buildings, museums, churches and walls. Here we see the Lion statue, Cathedral Square and the Jewish Quarter, El Call. We continue to Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí. Its highlight is the Dalí Museum, founded by the artist himself and designed by him down to the last corner. It holds the largest Dalí collection, with more than 4000 works made in many different techniques.

Park Güell, one of Antoni Gaudí's best known works, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Known as the fairy-tale park, it charms with its colourful stairways and dreamlike pavilions. We then move on to the Gothic Quarter, with medieval lanes, Gothic churches, romantic squares and Roman walls. Its highlights include Barcelona Cathedral, Plaça Reial (the Royal Square), Plaça del Rei (the King's Square) and La Rambla.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Homeward day

After breakfast at the hotel we transfer to the airport at the time set by our guide. After check-in and passport control we board AJet flight VF 608, departing at 14.20 for Ankara. We arrive at 20.20 local time, and our tour ends.