We will take a walk through the city center, the “old” Madrid, the capital of an empire.

The Austrias neighborhood is home to many of the sites and monuments built during the 16th and 17th centuries, when the city became the capital of Spain and seat of the Habsburg court by decision of Philip II in 1561. Its narrow, irregular streets reveal buildings of sober and austere architecture, in keeping with the character of those monarchs.

King Philip II began the first works, but it was his son Philip III who promoted the urban development of the new capital. Despite the changes and the passage of time, the architectural traces of that period are still preserved in the historic center of Madrid. Traditional shops and taverns are preserved in this part of the city.

Route

· Plaza Mayor – Starting point, the scene of all kinds of events at the time: markets, bullfights, popular shows, autos-da-fé…
· Arco de Cuchilleros.
· Palacio de Santa Cruz, headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
· Calle Toledo – Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidro – Imperial College
· Cava Baja
· Plaza de Puerta Cerrada.- Calle Cuchilleros- Mesón Restaurante Botín
· Plaza del Conde de Miranda. -Corpus Christi Convent (las Carboneras).
· San Miguel Market
· Plaza de la Villa: – Statue of Admiral Álvaro de Bazán and buildings in the Mudejar, Plateresque, and Baroque styles: Casa Torre de los Lujanes (15th century), Casa Cisneros (16th century), and Casa de la Villa (17th century) until 2011.
· Calle Bailén –   Almudena Cathedral and  Royal Palace, both  built on the site of the former Alcázar,
· Royal Monastery of La Encarnación.
· Plaza de Oriente
· Calle Arenal- Convent of Las Descalzas Reales
· Puerta del Sol – End of the  tour

This tour will take us through the city conceived by the monarchs of the Bourbon dynasty. With their arrival, Madrid saw many of its old, winding streets transformed, along with some of its most representative buildings and customs.

From the Plaza Mayor to the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, some of the city’s most notable buildings can be found. We will tour Monumental Madrid through fountains, palaces, gardens, and buildings that changed the city’s appearance.

The era of the enlightened monarchs, the 18th and 19th centuries, was a time when museums, libraries, and academies were conceived, which would shape the urban and monumental layout of the city and which, to this day, continue to be an important reference point.

Route:

· Starting point: Plaza Mayor.
· Calle Mayor.
· Puerta del Sol.
· Calle de Alcalá.
· San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts.
· Circle of Fine Arts.
· Bank of Spain.
· Plaza de Cibeles.
· Post Office Building – current City Hall
· Puerta de Alcalá – Main entrance to Retiro Park
· Calle de Alfonso XII
· Casón del Buen Retiro
· Academy of Language
· Plaza de la Lealtad.
· Prado Museum.
· Thyssen Bornemisza Museum.
· Neptune Fountain – End of the tour

This is undoubtedly the perfect tour to experience the most avant-garde Bilbao has become after the changes it has undergone in recent years. To see this for ourselves, we will cross the 19th-century Ensanche de Abando district via Gran Vía towards Plaza Moyúa, home to the famous Hotel Carton, the Chávarri Palace, and the iconic Doña Casilda Park, the city’s green lung.

We will also pass by avant-garde buildings such as the Euskalduna Conference Center, the Iberdrola Tower, the Isozaki Towers, and the Deusto Library, which stand tall in 21st-century Bilbao. Following the backbone of the Nervión estuary with its Euskalduna, Calatrava, and City Hall bridges, we will approach the Arenal, the city’s social center and former fishing port.

On the way, we will stop at the Guggenheim Museum (tickets not included), designed by Frank O. Ghery as an icon of modernity and avant-garde. On a walk around the museum, we will discover amazing sculptures such as Jeff Koons’ “Puppy” and Louise Bourgeois’ disturbing “Mamma” spider. Another place we won’t miss is the Basilica of Begoña (admission included), home to the patron saint, the Virgin of Begoña, our “amatxu” (mother).

Back in Bilbao, we will walk towards the old town, the Seven Streets, discovering some of the landmarks of its history, such as the Baroque church of San Nicolás, or the areas where Don Diego López de Haro, founder of Bilbao, used to walk. A visit to the Cathedral of Santiago, located in the center of the medieval town, or the Yohn Palace, known as the Stock Exchange, in the area near the Fuente del Perro fountain and the Plaza de Unamuno, meeting places for the traditional “txikiteros,” is a must.

We will discover the magnificent Arriaga Theater, named in honor of the “Mozart of Bilbao,” and we will end up in the Plaza Nueva, where you can taste the famous Basque pintxos.

On this guided tour of Panoramic Barcelona, we will visit Paseo de Graçia, admiring the modernist houses built at the end of the 19th century.

We will continue on to the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s magnum opus, including a visit inside the building.

Afterwards, we will visita another of the Catalan architect’s most famous works, Park Güell. We will then continue the panoramic tour to the Montjuïc area, stopping at the Mayor’s Viewpoint to enjoy magnificent views over the Port of Barcelona.

This guided tour of Barcelona will begin at Casa de la Pedrera, one of Gaudí’s most famous modernist buildings.

We will walk to Las Ramblas, where we will admire famous buildings such as La Boquería market.

From here, we will descend to the Gothic Quarter, considered the oldest part of the city and its historic center. You will visit Barcelona Cathedral, City Hall, and the Generalitat building. We will end the tour at the Picasso Museum.

We will visit the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim quarters of Toledo, a World Heritage Site.

We will visit the main monuments: the Mosque of Cristo de la Luz, the Church of Santo Tomé with El Greco’s masterpiece “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz,” the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, and the Primatial Cathedral.

We will begin with a panoramic tour of Malaga. We will then climb up to Gibralfaro Castle, where we will enjoy a privileged view.

We will continue our itinerary passing in front of the sanctuary of our patron saint, “La Virgen de la Victoria.” We will arrive at Plaza de la Merced, where we will leave the bus to visit the birthplace of Pablo Ruiz Picasso.

We will continue walking towards the Cathedral to visit it and explain the works of art it contains.

This tour will take us to places historically linked to Christopher Columbus and the expedition that discovered the American continent.

For example, in Moguer, we will learn about the seafaring tradition and visit the birthplace and headquarters of the Juan Ramón Jiménez Foundation.

Our tour includes the Monastery of Santa Clara, founded in the 14th century in the Gothic-Mudejar style.

From Moguer, we will head to Palos de la Frontera, where we will visit the church from which the admiral and his sailors set sail and La Fontanilla, where the ships that would discover America were provisioned.

We will continue on to the Monastery of La Rábida, founded in the 14th century, where Christopher Columbus lived, and the Pier of the Three Caravels.

Finally, we will have the opportunity to visit a place of special significance, the village of El Rocío and its chapel, as well as enjoy a panoramic view of the surroundings of the Doñana National Park, declared a biosphere reserve.

Jerez is located in the province of Cadiz. It is considered one of the most representative cities in Andalusia. It is renowned for flamenco, fighting bull breeding, purebred Spanish horses, and the production of wines with the Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Designation of Origin.

Depending on the day of the week of the visit, we will be able to admire the show “How Andalusian Horses Dance” at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art or the Cartuja Stud Farm “Bocado del Hierro”.

We will also enjoy a walk through the city and a visit to one of the most important wineries in Jerez, where we will have the opportunity to see the wine-making process and finish with a tasting.

From here, we will head to Arcos de la Frontera, the “Gateway to the White Villages,” located on a cliff above the Guadalete River, a strategic point during the Christian Reconquest. It is one of the most outstanding examples of a hilltop location, occupying the summit and slope of a rock on the right bank of the Guadalete River.

Here, we will be able to enjoy wonderful views: we will take a pleasant stroll through its streets to the viewpoint next to the Basilica of Santa María.

We invite you to come to the Atlantic Ocean and discover Cádiz, the oldest city in the West.

Our visit to “La Tacita de Plata” (the Silver Cup), the oldest city in the West, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, will begin with a panoramic tour where we will see: the Puerta de Tierra, the only entrance to Cádiz from the peninsula, the Old Cathedral, La Caleta Beach with the Spa, the Castle of San Sebastián and Santa Catalina, the Church of El Carmen, the Genovés Park, the Casa de las Cuatro Torres, and the Plaza de España, where the monument to the Cortes is located.

We will get off the bus and begin the tour on foot, visiting: the Town Hall, the Old Cathedral, the New Cathedral, the Arco de la Rosa, the Barrio del Populo, the Plaza de las Flores, and the Church of San Felipe Neri.