We leave Madrid, we travel towards the capital of Extremadura: MÉRIDA, entrance included to the archaeological complex of the Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre, in an excellent state of conservation, a World Heritage Site nowadays. Time for lunch in the pleasant pedestrian historic center with lots of life and restaurants. We will continue to Portugal and make a stop in ÉVORA, a city also declared a World Heritage Site, with its white streets, its Renaissance palaces and its cathedral. LISBON, arrival in the evening.

In the morning we will have a city tour, during which we will get to know the Portuguese capital of the 7 hills, the alleys and the tiles, the "saudade" and the Atlantic light. We will also approach the Belem neighborhood, from where the great Portuguese navigators, who crossed the oceans in the 15th century, left. Free time in the afternoon to walk and go to the Bairro Alto and its viewpoint; if you´d like to, you could take an optional excursion to the towns of Sintra, Cascais and Estoril. In the evening we return from the Restauradores Square, full of atmosphere with its bars and cafes, to the hotel.

We will head to the north of Portugal and visit FATIMA, an important sanctuary. We will continue our way to PORTO, Portugal’s second largest city. Free time to have lunch and afterwards we will have a sightseeing tour of this coastal city at the mouth of the Douro River with cobblestone streets and colorful houses, known for its imposing bridges and delicious wines. We will also include a visit to the old cellars. Free time.

On this day we will travel through beautiful landscapes. In the city of BRAGA we will get on the world’s oldest cable car to ride up to the Sanctuary of BOM JESUS, where we will enjoy its gorgeous views. We suggest walking down to admire its beautiful stairway. We will continue our trip and head to Galicia. We will visit the historic town of CAMBADOS in Rías Baixas, where we will go on a glass bottom boat trip in which we will learn about the production of mussels and oysters. Wine and mussels tasting included. At lunchtime we will arrive in SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, where we will have the city tour with a local guide. This town was a famous pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages.

We travel following the Way of St. James. In LUGO we will have time to visit the historic town center and Roman walls, which were declared the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will make a stop in O´CEBREIRO, a small Galician stone village. Arrival in LEÓN at lunchtime, where we will have time to visit the Gothic cathedral with its stained-glass windows and to stroll through the historic town center.

After that we will cross the Cantabrian Range mountains on our way to Asturias. Arrival in OVIEDO in the evening. We will include (occasionally the next morning) an hour-and-a-half visit of the city with a local guide, in which we will visit its 9th century cathedral, Calatrava Congressional Palace, Campoamor Theatre and Calle de la Rua.

We will travel to Picos de Europa. We will visit Basílica de Covadonga which is surrounded by beautiful scenery. We will resume our journey following the coastline to SANTILLANA, one of Spain’s most beautiful towns, and we will visit its well-preserved medieval quarter. We visit the National Museum and Research Centre of ALTAMIRA (ticket included) located in the vicinity of this town. We will later travel to SANTANDER, the region’s capital city, a coastal city with amazing vistas and beaches. We include panoramic city tour to discover this elegant city and its beautiful bay. NOTE: On some high difficulty dates (especially in summer from July to mid September), some groups can be accommodated in Bilbao.

We will follow the motorway along the Cantabrian coast. Some of the sceneries we will see today, as we travel between the mountains and the sea, are specially beautiful. BILBAO. We arrive in the Basque Country´s largest city. We will go on a short city tour with a local guide which will cover: the Guggenheim area, the old quarter, the Cathedral… then there will be free time to enjoy some authentic “pintxos”. We will continue towards MADRID. Arrival in the evening, around 20:00 hrs.

Note: In case the group of passengers is limited, the trip from Bilbao to Madrid might be carried out by train or regular transport.

After breakfast, end of our services.