PARIS 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Arrival. Transfer to the hotel. Welcome to Paris! Upon arriving at the airport, we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Check the information boards in the hotel reception area for details of the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travellers.

PARIS 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: City tour in Paris. Transfer to the Montmartre neighbourhood. Today we take a guided tour to discover the history, main boulevards and the breathtaking monuments of Paris. Later in the day, we provide a transfer to the Montmartre dis­trict. This neighbourhood is known for its painters, artists, and its cab­arets. Sit down for lunch and enjoy this magical place where you can choose from the various cuisines this area has to offer. We will then return to the hotel or take some leisure time to enjoy the city.

PARIS 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Transfer to Versailles palace. Today we will include a transfer to Versailles, with its immense palace and beautiful gardens. Free afternoon.

PARIS 48ºF - ROUEN 46ºF - ARROMANCHES - CAEN 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Monet’s house. Rouen. Beaches where the Normany landings took place. Early departure from Paris, travelling towards Normandy, making a stop in GIVERNY. We will visit Monet’s House and its impressive gardens (entrance included) ; we talk about Impressionist art, which had its centre in Normandy. The journey continues to ROUEN, the capital of Normandy with its medieval streets and cathedral. Here we have time for a stroll and to take lunch. We continue to ARROMANCHES, on its beaches we are reminded of the World War II landings in France. Last stop is CAEN, where we take some leisure time in the central district.

CAEN 48ºF - MONT ST. MICHEL - ST. MALO - DINAN 46ºF - RENNES 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Mont S. Michel. French Brittany. First thing in the morning we travel to Mont Saint Michel, time to see the Abbey located within the city on an island. After this, whilst travelling in the Brittany region, we stop at SAINT MALO (whose powerful walls defend the city), where we will have time for lunch. In the afternoon we continue to DINAN, take some time to explore this Breton village full of charm. We continue our way to RENNES, the capital of Brittany with its interesting and monumental historic centre.

RENNES 48ºF - ANGERS 52ºF - TOURS 52ºF - VILLANDRY 52ºF - AMBOISE 48ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Loire region and castles. Dinner included. In the morning we will leave for ANGERS. Those who want can visit the castle that houses the largest medieval tapestry on the Apocalypse. After this we continue to the Loire Valley, visiting TOURS, the regional capital on the banks of the Loire River, with time for a stroll and to take lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the CHATEAU DE VILLANDRY, famous for its gardens and flowers (tickets to the gardens are included). Journey on to AMBOISE, a city with a very interesting medieval quarter. Dinner included. Note: Sometimes the accommodation may be offered in the city of Tours.

AMBOISE 48ºF - CHENONCEAUX 50ºF - CHAMBORD 46ºF - LIMOGES 46ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Castles of Loire. A day to learn more about the Loire region. First a stroll through Amboise in the early hours to the Clos Lucé mansion where leonardo da Vinci spent the last 3 years of his life. Exploring the Loire region in a little more depth, we visit CHENONCEAU CASTLE (tickets included), built like a bridge over the River Cher. We continue to CHAMBORD, the largest castle of Loire (entrance to the park included). We will then travel to the centre of France, making a stop for coffee in ARGENTON SUR CREUSE, a small medieval town on the banks of the Creuse River. We continue to LIMOGES, a city known for its porcelain, where we recommend a stroll in the centre to see its cathedral.

LIMOGES 46ºF - SARLAT - BEYNAC 46ºF - ROCAMADOUR 52ºF

TODAY´S HIGHLIGHTS: Dordogne Valley of unforgettable villages. Lascaux cave museum. Beynac medieval castle. Dinner included.We will leave Limoges for the Dordogne. Few regions contain so many villages full of charm and unforgettable countryside. We arrive at LASCAUX, we will include admission to the museum and replica of the caves, we will learn about the site’s prehistory with the magnificent cave paintings. After that we see SARLAT, a world heritage town with an incredibly well-preserved Renaissance historic centre, where there will be time to stroll and have lunch. In BEYNAC we see a medieval castle overlooking the river (admission included). ROCAMADOUR, a beautiful medieval village with an important sanctuary “hung” over a ravine; we suggest you walk down the via crucis and come back up in the lift. Dinner included.

ROCAMADOUR 52ºF - PADIRAC 46ºF - COLLONGE LA ROUGE - ST EMILION - BORDEAUX

HIGHLIGHTS: Padirac Caves, Midi Region and winemakers. We will go to the impressive PADIRAC caves, where we include a boat ride on the river 75 metres underground. A stop at COLLONGE LA ROUGE, a very picturesque village built with red stone on the Way of St James. Time for lunch. After lunch we travel to ST. EMILION, at the heart of the Bordeaux wine producing region. Time for a stroll. BORDEAUX, arrival at the end of the afternoon.NB: The caves may be closed in November or due to the weather conditions.

BORDEAUX - LOURDES 45ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Cite du Vin in Bordeaux. Lourdes. Dinner included. The entire centre of Bordeaux has been declared a world heritage site. You will be amazed by the “water mirror” and stroll through the old town with its pedestrian streets and 11th century cathedral. We will include admission (free visit with audio information in Spanish, French or English) to the CITE DU VIN, an impressive interactive museum that recounts the history of the wine and its production; wine tasting included at the viewpoint over Bordeaux. You will have free time later to stroll and have lunch on the banks of the Garonne River, an area full of small restaurants.We continue our way towards the Pyrenees, arriving to LOURDES in the mid-afternoon. We have time to see the sanctuary (we recommend attending the candle procession). Dinner included.

LOURDES 45ºF - SAINT BERNARD - CARCASSONNE 55ºF - ANDORRA 54ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Medieval villages of St. Bertrand or Carcassonne. Skirting the Pyrenees, we will stop in SAINT BERTRAND, a medieval village perched on the mountainside, dominated by its great cathedral. Time for a stroll before travelling on to CARCASSONNE, a city surrounded by beautiful walls. We continue through the Pyrenees on a journey between the, often, snow-capped summits, and cross into the small country of ANDORRA. Dinner included.

ANDORRA 54ºF - MONTSERRAT 70ºF - BARCELONA 64ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Catalonia region. Montserrat Monastery. Rack train climb. We will have free time in ANDORRA for shopping and exploring. After lunch, we will continue our trip and head to Catalonia. The mountain countryside leads us to the impressive site of the MONTSERRAT MONASTERY, where you will go up the mountain on a rack train to see its fantastic scenery. Following this we will continue to BARCELONA, arriving in the late afternoon.

BARCELONA 64ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Barcelona city tour. “Spanish Village” visit and evening transfer to Las Ramblas district. Today we will explore Barcelona, an impressive city right on the Medi­terranean Sea. Starting by an informative city tour with a local expert (note: If the group has fewer than fifteen people, explanations can be given by our guide.) We will also visit the city’s historic central area with its Gothic neigh­bourhood dating back to the Middle Ages. We will visit the area where the Olympic Games took place. We will also get the chance to see La Sagrada Fa­milia Basilica, the masterpiece designed by the architect Gaudí. Following this, we include the entry ticket to visit ‘Poble Espanyol’ (meaning ‘Spanish Village’). This open-air architectural museum is situated in one of the most emblematic areas of Barcelona. Enjoy the Spanish craftsmanship and discover the architectural styles, traditions and folklore of the different regions that make up Spain. You will then have some free time to explore the city at your own leisure. In the evening we provide a transfer to Las Ramblas and the Plaza Cata­lunya area for dinner, where you can choose from a wide variety of restaurants. We will return to the hotel in the late evening.

BARCELONA 64ºF - PENISCOLA 48ºF - VALENCIA 70ºF - MADRID 54ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: visit Peniscola, a beautiful walled town and its castle by the sea. Discover Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences. Evening transfer in Madrid. We will journey south along the Mediterranean, making a special stop in PENISCOLA, a small walled town on the shores of the sea and where we have time for a stroll. We will then travel to VALENCIA, the third largest city in Spain. After time for lunch in its historic city centre, at 16.30 hrs, we will continue our route to Madrid after passing through the avant-garde City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia where we can take a picture. Arrival to MADRID at the end of the day and transfer to the Plaza Mayor where we can relax at some typical taverns.Note: Depending on the number of passengers, the journey between Valencia and Madrid may be done by high-speed train.

MADRID 54ºF

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Madrid city tour. Stroll through the Retiro Park. Visit to the Las Ventas bullring. Evening transfer. The morning starts with a comprehensive tour through the centre of Madrid including the Paseo del Prado, Cibeles, Neptuno, the Gate of Alcalá, Plaza de Colón and Plaza Mayor. We then will visit Retiro Park, an oasis in the city centre, where we will see the lake and the Glass Palace. A visit to Las Ventas Bullring (admission included) is next. This is one of the most famous bullrings in the world where we will learn about the tradition of the “corridas” at the Bullfighting Museum. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your own leisure. At sunset we will provide a transfer to Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, an elegant and bustling area with many restaurants serving different cuisines, such as local Spanish food, international and Chinese. Enjoy a pleasant dinner of your choice. At the end of the evening we will return to the hotel together.

MADRID 54ºF

After breakfast, end of our services.