Day 1 – To Madrid: Fly from London Heathrow to Madrid with Air Europa. Transfer
to the NH Paseo del Prado Hotel for 4 nights.
Take an afternoon introductory tour around
the city, passing through the historic Hapsburg
and Bourbon quarters, before visiting the Royal
Palace. The palace, built in the 18th century
on the site of the old Alcázar castle of the
Austrias, is designed in classical baroque style,
with strong Italian influence, and is one of
the best preserved palaces in Europe. Evening
welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)
Day 2 – Madrid: Spend a full day at the Museo
del Prado. Opening to the public for the first
time in 1819, the museum was initially a display
of 311 paintings belonging to the Spanish
crown. Today, more than 2,300 paintings have
been incorporated into the collection as well
as thousands of drawings and hundreds of
sculptures. Time will be spent focusing on the Spanish school, including famous works
such as Las Meninas by Velázquez and The
Second of May 1808 by Francisco de Goya plus
international contributions from western and
southern Europe with works spanning the 12th
to 19th centuries. (B)
Day 3 – Madrid: This morning is spent at
the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Formerly
a private collection owned by Baron Hans
Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, it was purchased
by the Spanish state in 1993 and provides a
series of highlights of European art spanning
eight centuries, rather than an all-encompassing
view of any particular period or artist. This
afternoon, visit the Reina Sofia Museum, which
predominantly focuses on Spanish modern
and contemporary art, in particular showcasing
works by Picasso, Miró and Dali. (B)
Day 4 – Toledo: This morning, drive to Toledo, known as the ‘city of three cultures’ and now
a Unesco world heritage site, where Arabic,
Jewish and Christian cultures have co-existed
for centuries. Explore Toledo’s artistic and
cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces,
fortresses, mosques and synagogues. Learn
about El Greco, famed painter, sculptor and
architect of the Spanish Renaissance, whose
life and works are mapped in the El Greco
Museum with some of his masterpieces still
found in the spectacular gothic cathedral
and in the church of Santo Tomé. Return to
Madrid for an evening farewell dinner. (B, D)
Day 5 – To London: Morning at leisure for
independent exploration of Madrid. Transfer
to Madrid airport for a return ight to London
Heathrow with Air Europa. (B)
Price includes: Return fl ights from London Heathrow with Air Europa; accommodation in a 4-star
hotel; transfers; sightseeing; taxes; services of local English-speaking guides.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
