Group Travel Specialists for Spain, Portugal & Beyond since 1979 Official Seller of Travel License #ST38569 102 NE 2nd Street, Suite 303 Boca Raton, FL 33432 Toll free 1-800-422-8000, Fax 561-214-4293 ARC#10-52317-0, ASTA, IATA www.SuntoursInternational.com [email protected]

Barcelona & Madrid - 8 Days from $2495 including Airfare from JFK & All Taxes 3 Nights Barcelona & 3 Nights Madrid, Full Buffet Breakfast daily, Welcome Dinner in Barcelona & Farewell, Dinner in Madrid, 4 Sightseeing Tours, Airport Transfers, Roundtrip Air, All Taxes. Additional nights are available Price is net and subject to change according to airfare cost at time of booking. 1 Free Air & Land with every 16. Minimum group size 10. Airfare supplement 5/10-8/31: $250.

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PACKAGE INCLUSIONS: Round-trip Airfare from JFK (low cost add-ons available from other US cities) Meeting and assistance upon arrival 6 Nights Accommodations at 4 star air-conditioned centrally located Hotels 3 Nights Barcelona at centrally located 4-star Catalonia Atenas Hotel 3 Nights Madrid at centrally located 4-star Agumar Hotel Buffet Breakfast daily in Barcelona & Madrid Lunch in Toledo 1 Welcome Dinner with wine in Barcelona 1 Farewell Dinner with wine in Madrid 4 Sightseeing Tours: Full Day City Tour of Barcelona including Sagrada Familia & Parc Guell Full Day Sightseeing Tour of the city of Girona, Figueres and the Dali Museum 1/2 Day Sightseeing city tour of Madrid including the Royal Palace. Full Day Sightseeing Tour of Toledo & El Escorial including lunch Transfers airport-hotel-airport & All Taxes

About Barcelona

Barcelona is arguably the most beautiful city of Spain, well known for its dramatic architecture, gothic quarter, parks and museums, world class dining, entertainment and shopping. Barcelona is Located in a privileged position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean. The capital of the province of Catalonia, it is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also because of its history,

tradition, and cultural influences. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil during the second century B.C. Modern The city’s Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendor enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries. The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona’s most distinctive Catalán art nouveau, or modernista, buildings. Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as the Casa Milà, the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.

GIRONA & FIGUERES with Dalí Museum – Full Day Tour

Day trip that takes you to two major towns in northern Catalonia: Figueres, with its landmark Theatre-Museum Dalí, and Girona, a monumental and ancient city, which is home to one of Europe’s best-preserved Jewish quarters. Guided walking tour of Girona and visit to the Dali Museum and “Dalí joies” in Figueres with admission fee also included as well as a whole host of discounts.

About Madrid, the capital of Spain

The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castilian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three million. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most of its industry is located in the Southern fringe of the city, where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife. The grand metropolis of Madrid can trace its origins to the times of Arab Emir Mohamed I (852-886), who ordered the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares river. Later it became the subject of a dispute between the Christians and Arabs until it was conquered by Alonso VI in the 11th

century. At the end of the 17th century, a defensive wall was built for the protection of the new outlying areas, tracing the roads of Segovia, Toledo and Valencia. During the 18th century, under the reign of Carlos III, were designed the great arteries of the city, such as the Paseo del Prado and Paseo las Acacias.

Palacio de Cristal

Retiro

At the beginning of the 19th century, Joseph Bonaparte undertook the reform of the Puerta del Sol and vicinity. The commercial street known as the Gran Vía was built as an east-west avenue at the start of the century. In the 1950's the north-south boulevard called Paseo de la Castellana was extended and modern buildings were erected, housing the major financial institutions. Remainings of the distant past are mainly the Baroque and neoclassical structures of the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) and others which will be described later during our guide of the city.

ITINERARY BARCELONA & MADRID

Day 1 USA – Barcelona, Spain Evening departure on your transatlantic flight to Europe. Dinner, movie, and breakfast on board.

Day 2 – Arrival in Barcelona – Afternoon City Tour Morning arrival in Barcelona. Meeting and assistance upon arrival at the airport and transfer to your centrally located hotel. This afternoon we’ll take you to enjoy an escorted tour of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. See the ancient Gothic Quarter with its magnificent cathedral. Stop to admire the exterior of Gaudi’s masterwork, the Basilica of the Sacred Family (Sagrada Familia). Continue to Montjuich Hill (site of the Olympic Stadium), to enjoy a spectacular view of Barcelona and its port area. In the evening, we will offer you a Welcome Dinner at a typical Catalonia restaurant. Overnight in Barcelona.

Day 3 – Barcelona - Girona, Figueres & Dali Museum

Buffet breakfast. Day trip that takes you to two major towns in northern Catalonia: Figueres, with its landmark Theatre-Museum Dalí, and Girona, a monumental and ancient city, which is home to one of Europe’s best-preserved Jewish quarters. Guided walking tour of Girona and visit to the Dali Museum and “Dalí joies” in Figueres with admission fee also included as well as a whole host of discounts

Day 4: Barcelona at Leisure Discover this magnificent town on your own and admire its rich arquitecture shown all over the buildings of the city center, stroll along the “Ramblas boulevard”, or take an optional tout to the Monserrat Basilica. Come evening, perhaps try one of the famous Flamenco Show sites in the city.

Day 5 - Barcelona-Madrid After breakfast at your hotel in Barcelona, you’ll be taken to the airport for your 1 hour flight to Madrid, one of Europe's most dynamic capital cities. Welcome and transfer to your centrally located hotel. Rest of the day at leisure to begin exploring the city. Overnight in Madrid.

Day 6 Madrid City Tour Buffet breakfast. This morning's escorted sightseeing tour will allow you to get a glimpse of some of Madrid's most outstanding attractions, like the Puerta del Sol, the magnificent fountains of Neptune and Cibeles, the stately Alcala Gate, the busy Gran Via, the Plaza de España and the Plaza de Oriente. Highly recommended this afternoon, is an optional tour to the Imperial former capital city of Toledo, where you will be escorted through its narrow cobblestone streets, soaking up the medieval atmosphere. Touring will include the interior of the magnificent Gothic cathedral and a visit to St. Tome Church, where El Greco's

masterpiece painting is displayed. There will also be some time for shopping for the unique typical local artisans. Overnight in Madrid.

Day 7: Madrid – Tour to Toledo & El Escorial

Medieval walled City of Toledo – cradle of Spanish Judaism Buffet breakfast and departure for you full day sightseeing tour of the Imperial former capital city of Toledo and the Palace of El Escorial. In Toledo you will be escorted through its narrow cobblestone streets, soaking up the medieval atmosphere. Touring will include the interior of the magnificent Gothic cathedral and a visit to St. Tome Church, where El Greco's masterpiece painting is displayed. There will also be some time for shopping for the unique typical local artisans. In the afternoon we head to the town of El Escorial to admire its outstanding palace . Once just a sleepy little resort town northwest of Madrid, San Lorenzo de El Escorial now hosts thousands of tourists coming in throngs to see the famous royal monastery. In addition to being home to an order of monks, this attraction also acts as a royal palace, museum and school. Commissioned by King Felipe II as a testament to Spain's devout Catholic faith, El Escorial was built in the 16th century after defeating the French in the Battle of Saint Quentin (with help from the heavens). The highlights of the immense complex include the elegant basilica, the marble Pantheon de los Reyes, where many kings and their relatives are buried, and the Patio de los Reyes, the entrance to the monument Tonight we will offer you a farewell dinner with wine in a typical restaurant in downtown Madrid. Overnight in Madrid

Day 8 Madrid - USA: Breakfast and departure transfer from your hotel to Madrid Airport for your transatlantic flight home, arriving later today. B)

Optional: The Prado Museum The Prado Museum is Madrid's top cultural sight, and one of the world's greatest art galleries. Located in the eponymous street, El Paseo del Prado, its dazzling display of works by the great European masters such as Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch (among other major Italian and Flemish artists), is housed in an 18th-century Neo-Classical building that opened as a museum in 1819. Its name derives from the district where it is located, formerly an area of market gardens known as the "prado" or meadow. The Spanish queen at the time had been impressed with the Louvre in Paris and wanted to showcase an enormous collection in her own country. The result is several thousand works at the present time, with a recent modern extension allowing more of them to be displayed. The sheer scale of the collection can make it daunting, so it is important to arrive with a few of the highlights in mind and concentrate on those. Perhaps the collection's most famous painting is Velazquez's "Las Meninas," showing princess Margarita and her two ladies-in-waiting as well as the artist himself with paintbrush and palette in hand. Another of his famous works, "The Triumph of Bacchus," shows the god of wine with a group of drunkards. The other major artist of the collection is Goya, whose depiction of nudity in the painting "The Naked Maja" led him to be accused of obscenity. His works make up such a large part of the museum, that his statue stands outside the main entrance. Another outstanding painting in the history of art is "The Garden of Delights" by Bosch, whose several other works are also represented at the Prado, as he was one of King Filipe II's favourite artists. Also look out for Rubens' "The Adoration of the Magi" and "The Three Graces," depicting three women (the Graces or the daughters of Zeus), dancing and representing Love, Joy, and Revelry. Rembrandt is also present with his fine self-portrait and "Artemisia," the subject of which is still unclear. Another self-portrait is that of Albrecht Dürer, who painted it at the age of 26. For a 1-hour visit, The Prado recommends the following masterpieces: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

'The Crucifixion' by Juan de Flandes, Room 57b 'The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest' by El Greco, Room 10a 'Las Meninas' by Velázquez, Room 12 'Jacob's Dream' by José de Ribera, Room 16b 'The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid: the executions on Principe Pio hill' by Goya, Room 39 'The Annunciation' by Fra Angelico, Room 49 'The Cardinal' by Raphael, Room 49 'The Emperor Charles V, on Horseback, in Mühlberg' by Titian, Room 11 'The Immaculate Conception' by Tiepolo Giambattista, Room 89 'Descent from the Cross' by Roger van der Weyden, Room 58 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hieronymus Bosch, Room 56 'The Three Graces' by Peter Paul Rubens, Room 9 'Self Portrait' by Albrecht Dürer, Room 55b 'Artemis' by Rembrandt, Room A 'Offering by Orestes and Pylades (San Ildefonso Group)'. Anonymous, Room 71

INTERESTED IN THIS PACKAGE? Please email us at: [email protected] and give us desired dates and city of departure. We’ll get back to you within 3 business days. Thank you!