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DAY 01: BEGINNING OUR EXPLORING TOUR Depart North America via jet service enroute to Madrid, Spain. Meals will be served in flight.
DAY 02: MADRID, SPAIN Upon your arrival in Madrid this morning, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.
DAY 03: MADRID This Spanish capital is situated 2,180 feet above sea level, the Spaniards say it's the nearest thing to heaven. Drive along the Avenida Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Parliament Square and stop outside the Royal Palace.
DAY 04: MADRID / SERRA DA ESTRELA Depart Madrid this morning and drive westward to the fortified city of Avila with its many towers. Visit St. Theresa Convent. Continue to Salamanca, just six miles from the spot where Wellington routed Napoleon's army in 1812. Time is allowed to wander around Plaza Mayor, the grandest square in Spain. Cross the frontier to Guarda, the highest town in Portugal and descend to the valleys of the Serra da Estrella area. Overnight.
DAY 05: SERRA DA ESTRELA / COIMBRA / LISBON Drive to Coimbra, celebrated for its beauty. Explore the tangled streets and steep alleys of this famous university town set among parks and gardens. Continue to Batalha to visit the beautiful monastery. Proceed to Fatima to visit the Sancuary, site of many pilgrimages. Your drive takes you through a sterner and more desolate landscape as you journey towards Lisbon, Portugal's attractive captial.
DAY 06: LISBON Henry the Navigator made Lisbon the 15th century mistress of the seas. See the monument erected in his honor, the Belem Tower, the Moorish Citadel, and the impressive Black Horse square. Spend the afternoon at leisure wandering in the Alfama's tile decorated streets.
DAY 07: LISBON / SEVILLE This morning visit a typical wine bodega in Azeitao to sample Portuguese wine. Drive through the rolling plains of the Alentejo with its woodlands of cork and eucalyptus trees, southwards all the way to the blinding light of Andalusia. Admire its neat white-painted villages and its sun-drenched plantations of olives, figs, and almonds as you drive by way of Beja into magnificent Seville. Overnight in Seville.
DAY 08: SEVILLE This morning explore one of Spain's most colorful cities. Visit the largest cathedral in Spain, the great Giralda Tower with its intricate Moorish decoration, and the 12th-century Alcazar, which was once a Moorish Royal Palace.
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DAY 09: SEVILLE / FEZ, MOROCCO Depart Seville this morning and drive through the wide valley of the Guadalquivir through the famous sherry vineyards around Jerez. Take the road south to Chiclana and along the Costa de la Luz to the port of Algeciras. Take the ferry past the Rock of Gibraltar across the Straits to Morocco. In the afternoon, travel further south heading for Fez, an enchanting city.
DAY 10: FEZ Ancient fez occupies a position of outstanding scenic beauty and is blessed with an ample supply of water. Visit the Medina and watch the crowd of Berbers in their flowing robes as they buy or sell their goods, accompanied by their veiled women. This evening enjoy a Moroccan dinner and folklore performance to savor the very native flavor of the restaurant, food and the show itself.
DAY 11: FEZ / RABAT / CASABLANCA This morning tour Meknes. See its monumental gates, mosques, palaces, and miles of protective walls. Visit the extraordinary stables within the perimeter of the huge Imperial City. On to Rabat, the capital and a most interesting city. Continue along the shores of the Atlantic to Casablanca, the most westernized of Morocco's cities. Return to Rabat for overnight.
DAY 12: RABAT / TANGIER This morning see the highlights of Rabat and proceed to cosmopolitan Tangier for overnight.
DAY 13: TANGIER / GRANADA Embark on an early ferry back to the Spanish mainland and then enjoy a scenic drive along the Costa del Sol to Malaga. From here, climb into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the splendid city of Granada. Granada was the last possession of th eMoors in Spain. The slender marble columns, elegant arcades, and honeycomb cupolas of the graceful alhambra are the most remarkable monuments to Moorish art in Spain.
DAY 14: GRANADA / TOLEDO / MADRID Depart Granada this morning and drive through the rolling Andalusian hills past olive and orange groves. Cross the Guadalquivir River and proceed to Toledo, spectacularly situated on a granite hill surrounded by a loop of the Tagus River. This ancient Castillan capital attracts more sightseers from all over the world than any other Spanish town. Visit the old walled city which was made famous in El Greco's painting, and even now, it's like a great open-air museum of Spanish history and art. Continue to Madrid for overnight.
DAY 15: MADRID / NORTH AMERICA Transfer to the airport for your return flight. Arrival in the late afternoon local time.
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