Madrid & Paris

Day 1 – Madrid

Board your flight to Madrid.

Day 2 – Madrid

¡Bienvenido a España! A private bus and driver will transfer your group to the hotel. Get acquainted with Spain’s lively capital city this afternoon with your group.

Day 3 – Madrid

Your adventure begins on a Madrid City Tour. You’ll see the Plaza de España, the statue of Cervantes, the Royal Palace, and Plaza Mayor. Later visit the magnificent Prado Museum. Don’t miss seeing Goya’s Majas and the Three Graces by Rubens.

Day 4 – Madrid

Venture to the historical walled city of Toledo, where the influences of Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures can still be seen. See the masterpieces by El Greco in the Cathedral. Also see the Old Synagogue, the Church of Santo Tomé, the Royal Palace, and visit a sword workshop. Near Toledo you will see the famous Castilian windmills immortalized in Miguel de Cervantes epic tale of Don Quixote. Option: Attend a fun and fiery Flamenco Performance this evening.

Day 5 – Madrid – Paris

Bon jour. Bienvenue à Paris! Fly to Paris! On today’s Paris City Tour you will see the magnificent Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysées, the majestic Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero, Les Invalides, Palais du Luxembourg, the Pantheon and the historic Latin Quarter. Continue to the Ile de la Cité to see the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice, and visit the Gothic masterpiece, Notre Dame. Then on to the Jardin des Tuileries and the stunning Place de la Concorde with its 3,300 year old Obélisque from Luxor. Later, tour the Louvre. Originally constructed in 1200 as a fortress, the Louvre is the largest museum on earth. Highlights of the vast collection include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the lovely Venus de Milo.

Day 6 – Paris

Discover more of this magical city on your own, or take advantage of the optional excursion to Chartres to view its fabulous Gothic cathedral. The cathedral’s sublime architecture is surpassed only by the sensational stained glass windows. The picturesque streets of Old Chartres evoke the bustling activity of a medieval city of merchants and craftsmen.

Day 7 – Paris

Travel to the glorious Palace of Versailles, home of Louis XIV. See the fabulous formal galleries like the Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World
War I. Then stroll through the splendid formal gardens with the famous Apollo fountain, and see Marie Antoinette’s Petit Hameau. Tonight, enjoy a Bateaux Mouches Cruise on the Seine. View the monuments of France from a unique perspective as you take in the brilliance of Paris after nightfall.

Day 8 – Depart

Jet home with new knowledge about two cultures and wonderful memories of your adventures in Spain and France.