Private Overnight Tour "The Main Cities of Spain - Madrid and Barcelona" (6 Days)

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1: Full day in Madrid

During this day we'll discover as much as possible about Spain's beautiful capital which is an important business centre, as well as the headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family. Some of the points of our visit will be the Royal Palace, a vast and elegant palace that is no longer used as a residence but keeps the original furniture and decoration as if kings still lived there, and the Prado Museum, considered one of the most important art galleries in the world. It houses masterpieces by Velazquez, Goya, El Greco and many other artists. In the majestic Plaza Mayor ( Main Square ) which used to be a marketplace and was the scene of popular events, we'll find under the arcades different shops that sell fabrics, costume jewelry and souvenirs together with outdoor cafes, taverns and bakeries. Other highlights are the Puerta del Sol (Sun Gateway), one of the most popular meeting points for local people and the starting of the old city's shopping area and the Plaza de Cibeles, an important symbol of Madrid, surrounded by some of the city's most important monuments.

Accommodation in Madrid (please follow the link for more details):

Level A Hotel: Hotel Hesperia Madrid (5 stars Deluxe - "Leading Hotels of the World")

Level B Hotel: Hotel de Las Letras (4 stars - "Design Hotels")

Day 2: Full-Day in Madrid Area - visit to El Escorial

This morning we'll visit Madrid's surroundings. San Lorenzo de El Escorial, 1000 meters above the sea level, is located in the Guadarrama mountain range, an area for many weekend and summer houses. This granite complex was built as royal residence and Mausoleum for the Spanish kings. After visiting El Escorial, and if you don't want to go directly to Madrid , you can opt by visiting the nearby monument of Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caidos (Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen). This enormous granite cross was built as the burial place for the soldiers who died during the Civil War. It is also the here that we can find the tomb of General Franco, Spain's dictator during World War II. The funicular running from the esplanade at the back to the base of the cross provides great views.

Accommodation in Madrid (please follow the link for more details):

Level A Hotel: Hotel Hesperia Madrid (5 stars Deluxe - "Leading Hotels of the World")

Level B Hotel: Hotel de Las Letras (4 stars - "Design Hotels")

Day 3: Departure to Barcelona

Today, we'll spent most of our day driving from Madrid to Barcelona. After arriving to Barcelona it's time to relax since we'll discover this beautiful city on the next day.

Accommodation in Barcelona (please follow the link for more details):

Level A Hotel: Hotel Majestic (5 stars Deluxe)

Level B Hotel: Hotel Hesperia Presidente (4 stars)

Day 4: Full-Day in Barcelona

Set in a privileged position on the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain both in size and population. It's one of the major European cities and rivals with Madrid in terms of culture, commerce and sport. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalunia, and Castillian Spanish. Besides its ancient monuments, Barcelona is above all famous for the splendor achieved by Gaudí's modernism. Barcelona also keeps the memory that it was here that Colombo was received by the Catholic Kings after arriving from America. Amongst Gaudí's many works stand out his unfinished masterpiece, the outstanding Sagrada Familia, the Casa Milà, better known now as La Pedrera (the quarry), and the Güell Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. One of the liveliest places in Barcelona is the long and historical avenue Las Ramblas, busy both during the day and in the evening. Here you'll find people performing living statues and mimes, and people selling everything from lottery tickets to jewellery, birds, flowers and many other things.

Accommodation in Barcelona (please follow the link for more details):

Level A Hotel: Hotel Majestic (5 stars Deluxe)

Level B Hotel: Hotel Hesperia Presidente (4 stars)

Day 5: Departure to Montserrat Monastery, Girona and return back to Barcelona discovering Costa Brava

Today, our journey will continue to the Monastery of Monserrat which offers you some of the most spectacular mountain views of Catalonia. This Benedictine Monk retreat is still in use but we still can visit the basilica, famous for its choir boy performances of Gregorian chants and for the image of Our Lady, visited by pilgrims from all over the world.

As an alternative to Montserrat, if you are a great admirer of the painter Salvador Dalí, we can visit Figueres instead. This was the birthplace of Salvador Dali and its museum is the most visited of Spain, after the Prado.

Then, we'll continue towards Girona with its tall buildings painted in bright colours facing the river. Before driving back to Barcelona our drive will continue along Costa Brava, a combination of golden sandy beaches with cliffs and green pine woods.

Accommodation in Barcelona (please follow the link for more details):

Level A Hotel: Hotel Majestic (5 stars Deluxe)

Level B Hotel: Hotel Hesperia Presidente (4 stars)

Day 6: Hotel Check-out

Today you shall check-out your hotel in the morning and it'll be time to return back home or continue your trip through Europe (If you can extend your holidays, please ask us to include extra nights or services to this pack). As an option you can also return to Madrid with a private transfer.

End of Private Tour