Madrid and North of Spain

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.  

Scenery: Plains in Castile; spectacular mountain scenery crossing the Cantabrian Range. 

Note: If there are fewer than five travellers from Madrid to Leon, this section may be done by high-speed train. In this case, you will be offered transfer to the railway station, but the trip will be made without a guide (you will meet our main group from Galicia in Leon). In this case, the stop in Tordesillas would be cancelled.    

08.30 hrs. - Madrid - Departure -. (the time may change slightly depending on the hotels). We travel through Castilla y León, passing through the Guadarrama mountains and over the plains of Castile. 

10.45 hrs.- Tordesillas.- Arrival in this small town where in the 15th century the treaty was signed that divided America between Spain and Portugal.  Time for a coffee in its Plaza Mayor.    

11.45 hrs.- Tordesillas. Departure.   

13:30 hrs. -Leon.- Time for lunch and to stroll around this historic capital of Leon, which stands on the Way of St James. Its Gothic cathedral stands out with its magnificent stained glass windows. 

16:45 hrs. -León.- Departure -. Magnificent scenery on our trip to Asturias.  

18:30 hrs. .- Oviedo - Arrival -. We include (sometimes, depending on the year, on the Tuesday morning) a one and a half hour tour of the city with a local guide. We will see the 9th-century cathedral, the Calatrava palace, the Campoamor theatre, and the Calle de la Rúa. Night in the capital of the Principality of Asturias. A city with a great atmosphere.

Countryside: Very beautiful scenery: mountains, views of the sea, little villages scattered along the way.   

08:30 hrs Oviedo -departure from the capital of Asturias. 

09:45 hrs.-Covadonga. - Time to see the sanctuary pinned between mountains, the place where the Reconquista of Spain began. 

10:45 hrs.- Covadonga -departure. The green mountains blend with the sea. Beautiful scenery along the way. 

12:30 hrs.- Santillana. -Arrival. Time in this beautiful mediaeval village, its stone streets, its blazoned houses, the Collegiate. Time to have a stroll and for lunch. In the vicinity we will see (tickets included) the Museum of the Caves of Altamira, a reproduction of the fantastic rock paintings preserved here. 

16.00 hrs.- Santillana/Altamira-departure. 

16:30 hrs.- Santander – Arrival in the regional capital, a maritime city with impressive views between mountains and beaches.  We include a panoramic tour of a little over 2 hours with a local guide to discover this elegant coastal city and its beautiful bay. During the tour, we will stroll around the Pereda Gardens, we will climb to the Centro Botín and reached the Cathedral Square. Then, in the bus, we will continue to the Magdalena Peninsular, the Sardinero Beaches, the Grand Casino, Piquío Gardens and climb to the Cabo Mayor Lighthouse for the beautiful views of the city and its spectacular cliffs.  

Arrival at a hotel at around 18:45 hrs   

Countryside: Great views over the sea, mountains and green scenery before entering in the Castilian Plateau.  

09.00 hrs.- Santander -departure. Magnificent scenery. Travel to the Basque Country.   

10:30 hrs.- Bilbao. -Arrival, we are in the largest city of the Basque Country. On arrival, we include a funicular ride up to the Artxanda viewpoint for a great view of the whole city. After this, with a local guide, we will make a short tour of the city: the Guggenheim area, Old Quarter, Cathedral, etc.  at the end of the tour there will also be time to try one of the famous “pintxos” and have lunch.   

14:15 hrs – Bilbao. Departure- . We travel to Castile.

20.30 hrs.- Madrid- Arrival.