Madrid & Toledo

Madrid
Puerta del Sol
Royal Palace
Prado Museum
Toledo
Monasterio de El Escorial
Sorolla

Discover the people and places that made Madrid the major cultural art scene it is home to today

Madrid and the ancient city of Toldeo are filled with art, architecture and culture. With rich history, Toledo is known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city.

Price is per person sharing a twin or double room and based on 25 passengers. Single supplement applies.

Itinerary/Excursions

Day 01

Take the coach from your pick-up point and transfer to your local airport. Take a private coach transfer from the airport, and enjoy a panoramic city tour. A half-day sightseeing tour of Madrid will show you the beautiful buildings and streets of the magnificent metropolis, including Gran Via, Cibeles Square, the Puerta de Alcala, Retiro Park, Paseo de Recoletes, and Circulo de Bellas Artes that belong to the time of illustration and neoclassicism. The city tour will also take you to the Puerta del Sol, the city centre, and the km 0 of Spain. Proceed to the stunning Plaza Mayor, a gem of the austere Spanish Baroque. During the tour, there will be stops for taking photos and strolls.

Day 02

This morning you will visit the old town, where you will enjoy a half-day walking tour and a visit to the Royal Palace. The walk will take you through 16th century Madrid, seeing the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, San Miguel market hall, City Hall of Madrid, and these Place des Oriente. In the afternoon, visit the famous Prado Museum. One of the world's major painting galleries, here you will discover a collection reflecting the tastes of the Spanish kings, for whom some world-famous artists such as Titian, Velazquez or Goya were working, as well as works of art from Flanders and Italy.

Day 03

Today you will visit Toledo, also known as the 'City of Three Cultures' - a reminder of when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together peacefully. Toledo is also the city of El Greco who found his adopted home here in 1577. His works are present throughout the city. The most famous, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, can be found in the Church of Santo Tomé, not far from the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca.Here you will also find the second largest cathedral in Spain. It was built between 1226 and 1493 in the Spanish Gothic style. Together with several works by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Zurbarán, Rubens, Titian and van Dyck, the high, carved altar and the collection of paintings, the highlights of the opulent furnishings, can be found in the sacristy.

Day 04

On the southern side of the Guadarrama Mountains, the Monasterio de El Escorial rises at an altitude of 1,030 metres. The monument of symbol of the Philip II's period, arranged in memory of the Saint Quentin victory with the foundation stone being laid in 1563. Eight towers and a large cruise ship dome form its silhouette. In total, this building features 16 courtyards, 15 cloisters, 86 staircases, 88 wells, 2700 windows and 1259 doors. Among the many and valuable paintings of the halls and cloisters, you can find works by Titian, El Greco, Lucas Jordan, Claudio Coello, Velázquez and others.

Day 05

The Reina Sofia Modern Art Centre is dedicated to promoting and maintaining modern art, offering exhibitions and events, with the perminent exhibition focusing on Spanish art from the 20th century. The collection depicts the personalities of the century in painting, including Picasso, Dalí, Miró or Julio Gonzalez. The most famous work is Guernica, the gigantic painting by Picasso. A visit to the Sorolla Museum will allow you to discover the true essence of the Spanish artist. Formerly the family residence, the building was turned into a museum following the wishes of his widow. Here you can imagine the staircase that models used when posing for the artist; you'll hear the trickling of the fountains in the garden, and above all, you'll see some of Sorolla's best-known works: The Gardens at the Sorolla Family House, Walk by the Sea, and more. Then transfer to the airport to depart home.

Your holiday includes

Return flights and transfers in the UK and at destination
Panoramic city tour
Entrance to the Prado Museum
Excursion to Toledo
Visit to the Cathedral, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes and the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo
Entrance to the Monasterio El Escorial
Reina Sofia Museum
Museum Sorolla
4 nights at Hotel Ganivet 3* with breakfast and evening meals

Hotel Details

Hotel Ganivet 3*

Centrally located, Hotel Ganivet is only a short walk from the most authentic and cultural area of the city. Near the Puerta de Toledo, an area brimming with a truly authentic atmosphere that is very close to Madrid’s most important sites, including Puerta de Sol, Gran Vía, the Almudena Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor and the main museums (Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofía). Thanks to its excellent connections, the city centre can be explored on foot by walking along its most charming corners and roads.

With quiet and comfortable rooms equipped to make your stay enjoyable, the Hotel Ganivet offers en-suite rooms with air conditioning, free WiFi, parquet flooring, TV, hairdryer, telephone, safe, and a wake up service.

The hotel also has a relaxing jaccuzi on the sun terrace, where you can appreciate the blue skies of Madrid. Improve your day with a bite to eat at our snack bar or by watching a movie or a game in the TV and reading room and find out about upcoming events and the goings-on in the city at reception.