Paris to Madrid

Day 1 – Depart USA

Jet off to Paris, France.

Day 2 – Paris

Bon Jour! Your private bus and guide waits to escort you on a Paris City Tour. Discover the magic of the City of Lights. See the symbol of France, the Eiffel Tower, the historic Latin Quarter, the world-famous Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe and other highlights; then visit the home of Victor Hugo’s hunchback, the Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Day 3 – Paris

Tour the Louvre Museum, the largest museum on earth! The Louvre was originally constructed in 1200 as a fortress. In the 17th century. After the French revolution, the Louvre was opened as a museum and its fabulous collection was rightfully made accessible to the public. Among the priceless art treasures to see are the beautifully proportioned Venus de Milo, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Day 4 – Provence Area

Take the high-speed TGV train to the Provence area. Arrive in Avignon, an ancient town full of history, life, youth, art, music and activity. Protected by its ramparts, this was the home of the French Popes for 68 years in the 14th century. Transfer to a hotel in this luminous region that is characterized by red roofs, silvery olive trees and scents of thyme, rosemary and lavender.

Day 5 – Provence Area

Tour Arles to see the magnificently preserved Roman theater, the Arenes and the Romanesque Église St-Trophime. Then enjoy an overview of The Camargue, the vast alluvial delta of the Rhône. In these marshlands is a nature reserve where both the native wildlife and wintering migrant birds are protected. Visitors can see over 300 bird species including the famous flamingoes. Visit Aigues-Mortes and Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue Regional Nature Park.

Day 6 – Barcelona

Travel by way of Nîmes, an ancient city replete with Roman ruins. See the amphitheatre and the Maison Carrée, an excellently preserved temple dating from the time of Augustus. Arrive in Barcelona and discover the capital of Catalonia on a Walking Tour with your guide along the lively Ramblas, a series of wide connected avenues with everything to see from fire-eaters to birdsellers to sidewalk artists.

Day 7 – Barcelona – Madrid

On today’s Barcelona City Tour visit Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece, the surreal Church of La Sagrada Familia. Also see the Barrio Gotico, Plaza de España, the Palacio National and other highlights. Option: Visit Montserrat, a lofty, craggy monastery perched high atop a mountain. Here you will find a mysterious Black Virgin housed in the Benedictine abbey and see magnificent panoramas. Another option takes you to nearby Tarragona for a day of basking on the port’s beaches and views of the sea and coast. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Madrid.

Day 8 – Madrid

Your full day of activities begins with a Madrid City Tour and a tour of the famous Prado Museum. Highlights of the vast collection include Goya’s Majas and Rubens’ Three Graces. Visit the cathedral and a sword workshop, and see the Old Synagogue, the Royal Palace, and the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo, a walled city in La Mancha that was once the capitol of Spain.

Day 9 – Depart

Jet home with memories of your excellent adventures, from Paris to Madrid.