Explore prominent landmarks and extraordinary cities that define Spain, many of them World Heritage sites, an experience that will leave you with a deeper historical and cultural perspective of the country.
NOTE: this program starts in Madrid, Spain therefore arriving flights need to be booked into the Madrid International Airport (MAD). This tour is not recommended for guests with walking difficulties or for those who use a wheelchair, walker or scooter due to the amount of walking, many steps and cobbled surfaces. There are long segments of driving on this program.
DAY 1
Upon arriving at the Madrid International Airport, you will be met in the Arrivals Hall which is outside the luggage claim area. Please look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo.
You will then be transferred to your hotel, where you will spend the evening. Meals are on your own today.
Note: Single guests will transfer in a sedan and couples in a van. Sedans hold 2 pieces of luggage plus 2 carryon size bags. Vans hold 4 pieces of luggage plus 2 -3 carry-on sized bags. Should you have more luggage than is permissible, a larger vehicle may be required with additional cost. Please advise your booking agent at least 21 days before sailing if a larger vehicle is required.
Day 2
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Toledo, a city so architecturally rich that Spain has declared it a national monument. UNESCO agreed and designated the historic center a World Heritage site, in part because three religions existed harmoniously here—Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
As you walk through this extraordinary city on the Tagus River, you will get a genuine feel for what life was like here in the Middle Ages. The historic city center is that atmospheric. The Toledo Cathedral is particularly impressive, as it is considered one of Europe’s greatest Gothic buildings. Built over nearly three centuries, starting in 1226, the cathedral contains a spectacular high altar and two painting by El Greco, the famed painter that lived in Toledo.
Lunch follows, after which you will return to Madrid. As an introduction to Spain’s vibrant capital, you will drive past key landmarks before starting an enlightening walking tour in Plaza Mayor. This grand arcaded square in the heart of the city offers wonderful options for shopping and dining nearby, as you may discover during free time.
By late afternoon, you will return to the hotel, where you will spend the evening with dinner on your own.
Note: In Toledo there will be approximately 2.5 km / 1.5 miles of walking over paved and cobblestone surfaces with some ascending inclines. In Madrid you will have approximately 1.5km / .9 miles of walking over flat, paved surfaces.
DAY 3
After breakfast at the hotel, you will drive to Segovia, a World Heritage site perhaps best known for its aqueduct that was probably constructed during the reign of Roman emperor Trajan. Until about 100 years ago, the aqueduct still carried water from the Frio River into Segovia 10 miles away.
The Alcazar is another landmark that is impossible to miss. Construction began in the 12th century and its fabulous fairy-tale style supposedly inspired the design of the Walt Disney castle in part. You will also spend time in Segovia’s walled upper town, whose cathedral is the last Gothic one built in Spain. It stands where Isabella I was proclaimed the Queen of Castile in 1474.
Following lunch in Segovia, you will drive to the 16th-century Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial on the outskirts of Madrid. It too is a World Heritage site and celebrated for its austere appearance, which influenced Spanish architecture for the next half century or so. As you wander through the interior, the guide will describe the building’s illustrious history, including how King Philip II conceived El Escorial as a funerary monument for his father.
After visiting, you will return to the hotel in Madrid, where you will spend the evening with dinner on your own.
Note: In Segovia you will have approximately 1km / .6 miles of walking over cobblestones and paved surfaces, with some ascending inclines and in Escorial there will be approximately 2.5 km / 1.5 miles of walking over flat, paved surfaces.
DAY 4
After breakfast at the hotel, check out and meet your local guide for a two-hour drive to Siguenza. Enjoy the changing landscape along the way.
Arrive to the ancient town of Siguenza, considered one of the best kept villages in Spain. Located in a strategical location and overlooking a fertile area, the town has been inhabited since the paleolithic time, and conserves evident traces of ancient settlers such as Romans, Visigots and Arabs just to name a few.
Follow your guide on a stroll through its medieval streets, admire the central square “ Plaza Mayor “ and the façades of many elegant palaces houses, churches and convents that reflect the ancient important of Siguenza.
After lunch in typical restaurant, continue to Zaragoza (2 hour drive). Its star attraction is the multi-domed Basilica of Pilar, an important pilgrimage site. According to local legend, the Virgin Mary gave Saint James a pillar made of jasper here and instructed him to build a church on the site. This last version of El Pilar, as it’s known locally, was constructed beginning in the late 17th century.
Upon arrival, enjoy a walking tour of the old quarter. See the famous Basilica of Pilar: overlooking the Ebro River, it is famous pilgrimage site with a shrine to the Virgin Mary and multiple domes.
After visiting, check in to your hotel, where you will spend the evening with dinner on your own.
Note: In Seguenza you will have approximately approx. 1 km / .6 miles of walking over cobblestone surfaces and some light inclines and in Zaragoza approximately 1 km/ .6 miles of walking over flat, paved surfaces.
DAY 5
Enjoy breakfast and check out before taking a leisurely and immensely scenic drive to the Poblet Monastery. A 12th-century church stands at the center of this sacred World Heritage site, which features a fortified royal residence. While touring, you will learn about the monks’ lifestyle in the Middle Ages and the mountainous route that connects this Cisterian monastery to two others.
Continuing on to the nearby medieval village of Montblanc, you can expect to see its Gothic churches, the royal palace and the city’s 14th-century stone walls, more than half of which still exist.
After lunch, proceed to the port of Barcelona where you will embark the ship.
Note: At the Monastery of Poblet you will have approximately 1.5 km / .9 miles of walking and about 10 steps to negotiate. In Montblanc there will be approximately 1 km./.06 miles of walking over cobblestone surfaces
Land Program Details Step by Step
•The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
•Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
•Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
•If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Arrive at the Madrid International Airport
Transfer to your hotel and check-in
Meals are on your own today
Overnight at the Eurostar Madrid Tower Hotel or similar
DAY 2
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:30am Meet with your local guide for a tour of Toledo and Madrid
10:00am Visit of Toledo
1:00pm Lunch at local restaurant
3:00pm Departure from Toledo for Madrid
4:30pm Arrival in Madrid and city tour
6:00pm Return to your hotel for the evening
Dinner is on own
Overnight at the Eurostar Madrid Tower Hotel or similar
DAY 3
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8.:30am Meet your local guide and depart for Segovia
10:00am Segovia visit
12:30pm Lunch at a local restaurant
2:00pm Depart for Escorial
3:00pm Arrival in Escorial
3:15pm Visit Escorial
5:30pm Arrival back at your hotel
Dinner is own own
Overnight at the Eurostar Madrid Tower Hotel or similar
DAY 4
AM Breakfast at your hotel
8:45am Meet your guide at reception for a transfer to Madrid-Siguenza
10:30am Visit Siguenza
12:45pm Lunch at Parador de Siguenza
2:30pm Drive to Zaragoza
4:30pm Arrival to Zaragoza and city tour
6:30pm Check-in at the hotel
Dinner at leisure and rest of the evening at leisure
Overnight at the Nh Collection Zaragoza or similar hotel
DAY 5
AM Breakfast at your hotel and check out
8:30am Drive from Zaragoza to the Monastery of Poblet
10:30am Arrival and visit
12:45pm Lunch at a local restaurant
2:15pm Drive Barcelona for embarkation
3:45pm Approximate arrival in Barcelona and embark the ship
Expected Weather
April: average temperature 12º C
May: average temperature 15º C
June: average temperature 20º C
September: average temperature 22º C
October: average temperature 15º C
November: average temperature 10º C
What to Bring
Weather-appropriate clothing, hats, flat comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sun protection, umbrellas and cameras.
Currency
Euro
Electricity
220 volts. We recommend bringing your own travel convertor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required.
Hotel addresses
Eurostar Madrid Tower
Paseo de la Castellana 259 28046 Madrid
Phone: +34 913 342700
NH Collection Zaragoza
C. Joaquín Costa, 5, 50001 Zaragoza, Spain
Phone: +34 976 22 19 01
*We will only source different hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are required, they will be of equal ratings and standards and you will be notified of the change. If you are not notified of any changes before your departure, then you will be staying at the hotels listed in this program.
Program Includes
3 nights at the Eurostar Madrid Tower including breakfast or similar hotel (standard double room)
1 night at the NH Collection Zaragoza including breakfast or similar hotel (standard double room)
4 lunches as indicated in the itinerary including 2 glasses of wine, mineral water, coffee
English-speaking tour escort
Luggage handling at hotels (maximum 2 pieces of luggage per person)
Entrance fees per the itinerary
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program excludes
•Gratuities to drivers and guides
•Meals and beverages not listed in the program details
•Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 90 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 90 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Price: $2,999 per guest based on double occupancy.
Hotel and Land Program pricing is not combinable with FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package. If applicable, please contact Regent Seven Seas Cruises or your travel agent for multi-night pre-cruise hotel pricing information. Land program promotions are subject to terms.
