Special Offer: Transcantabrico Luxury Train

Your tour begins in San Sebastián, a fascinating city which captures our hearts with an unusual attraction. Welcome, City tour and lunch in San Sebastián. Trip by coach to Bilbao where the train is awaiting. Welcoming on board the train and settling in your suites. Once on board we will approach Villasana de Mena. Dinner and overnight in Villasana de Mena.

The train will cover the distance between Villasana and Bilbao. The City Tour includes a visit to the Guggenheim Museum. Lunch on board while going to Santander, in Cantabria, the calm city that joins several qualities such as beauty, fascination, charm. An icon of the town is the Gran Casino – it is worthwhile just looking at the building, standing right in El Sardinero quarters like a gift. Dinner and night in Santander.

The train approaches Unquera. From here, by coach, going along the gorge of La Hermida we will arrive to Potes and the Sanctuary of Saint Toribio de Liébana. In the afternoon we will arrive to Cabezón de la Sal. Lunch in Potes and dinner and night in Cabezón de la Sal.

From Cabezón de la Sal, we will visit the Neo-cave of Altamira, and Santillana del Mar, a beautiful medieval city. Lunch in Santillana. In the afternoon the train will bring us into Asturias, then to the beautiful fishing town of Ribadesella, and afterwards to Arriondas. Dinner in Cangas de Onís and night in Arriondas.

We are now in the heart of Asturias. From Arriondas, we will travel by coach to the National Park of Picos de Europa; the Covadonga Lakes, the Sanctuary of Covadonga, and, finally, Cangas de Onis. Lunch aboard the train. Meanwhile the train will travel to Oviedo, the capital city of the Principality of Asturias. Visit and dinner in Oviedo and night in Candás.

From Candás and by coach we will reach Avilés. Afterwards to Gijón, a seaside city. Visit and lunch. In the afternoon we will travel to Luarca, known as “The White Town of the Green Coast.” Dinner and night in Luarca.

Ribadeo: the first bordering town with Asturias, right at the mouth of the Eo River. Visit to the Cathedrals’ Beach, considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, with sea-sculpted archways that resemble the flying buttresses of cathedrals. Lunch in Ribadeo. In the afternoon we will stop in Viveiro. Dinner and overnight in Viveiro.

By coach from Ferrol we will go to Santiago de Compostela, goal for jacobean pilgrims, where Obradoiro’s square, the Platerías and the Cathedral await us looking like jewels.

Arrival to Madrid airport (flight details to be advised).

Meet your driver at the arrivals hall with a sign board.

Private Sedan Transfer from Madrid Airport to Hotel provided by Made for Spain

450 years ago, King Philip II of Spain converted Madrid, then a very small town, into the capital of his kingdom “where the sun never set”. Today Madrid has become, after Paris and London, the third most populated European city. Its outstanding architecture, fabulous museums and high–end shops and restaurants have made of Madrid one of the world major cultural and commercial centres.

The good climate it enjoys and the friendliness of its people attract millions of visitors every year, ready always to enjoy the thrilling nightlife of this unforgettable city.

Street life is one of the trademarks of 21st century Madrid; a place where tradition and modernity live harmoniously together in the cobbled streets of the old city as well as in the sleek, new fashionable districts. Madrid is, definitively, the place to visit!

Check-in at Hotel Villa Magna

Madrid’s award-winning Hotel Villa Magna is now more luxurious than ever. A complete renovation has enhanced the Hotel as the perfect address in town for guests who require the best service together with easy access to what the capital has to offer, including historical monuments and architecture, world-famous museums, designer boutiques and gastronomic delights.

Afternoon at leisure.

Accommodation in Madrid: Villa Magna Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (Kingsize bed/ twin beds)

9:30 AM - 5:30 PM Enjoy a Full day Madrid Highlights Tour

Meet guide in hotel lobby.

In the morning enjoy a city tour and visit the Royal Palace

Enjoy a panoramic visit of Madrid and learn about its history through significant examples of its architecture and urban development since its foundation by the Moors in the early 800’s. There are a wide variety of styles to be seen from contemporary architectural wonders, through the Baroque buildings of the 17th century, located mostly within the old city, - like the Plaza Mayor and the former City Hall – to the magnificent buildings of the neoclassical period like the Prado Museum, the Puerta de Alcalá and the Cibeles Fountain as well as the elegant and glamorous Barrio de Salamanca, which has become a showcase of 19th and early 20th century buildings.

The tour includes a visit to the Royal Palace, residence of the Kings of Spain from the 18th century to the early 20th century. (The Palace might eventually be closed to the public for special royal receptions and ceremonies).

1:30 PM Break for lunch with your guide (Cost of food not included)

3 PM Transfer to the Prado Museum walking or by local taxi

3:30 PM - 5:30 PM Visit the Prado Museum

After lunch you will also visit the Prado Museum. This imposing 18th century building, currently occupied by the Museum, was built under instructions of King Carlos III, to embellish the Prado Promenade. The Museum as such opened in 1819 and was intended to provide Madrid with an outstanding painting gallery, large enough to match those opening in Europe at the time. Very recently, the prestigious Spanish architect, Rafael Moneo, has enlarged the old building by adding a new wing with additional rooms and a fantastic gothic cloister not to be missed.

The Prado collection, with around 9,000 paintings, is one of the world's most important and boasts names such as Bosch, Titian, El Greco, Rubens, Velázquez, Goya and Madrazo. This tour is a great introduction to Madrid’s history, art, culture and traditions.

Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation in Madrid: Villa Magna Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (Kingsize bed/ twin beds)

9 AM - 5 PM Full-Day Excursion to Toledo

Meet your driver outside the main entrance of the hotel

9 AM Private Sedan Transfer provided by Made for Spain to Toledo

10 AM Arrive in Toledo and meet your local expert guide

Toledo is one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in Spain. The wealth of its artistic and cultural legacy is at the origin of Toledo being a unique city in Europe. This legacy is kept within its walls in the form of churches, museums, palaces, fortresses, mosques, and synagogues. The great diversity of artistic styles has made of its old quarter a true museum and explains why Toledo has been declared “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO.

10 AM - 1:30 PM Guided Tour of Toledo

Listening to your guide you will understand why Toledo is also known as the “city of the three cultures”, as Christians, Arabs and Jews lived here together for centuries in great harmony. The city preserves two famous Synagogues, a Mosque and a unique Cathedral, ranked among the greatest Gothic buildings in Europe. Some of the many other churches treasure first rate paintings such as “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, by el Greco. A visit to a manufacturer of swords, sabres and daggers will take you a few centuries back in time. Historians consider the middle ages as the highest moment of Toledo sword craftsmanship.

1:30 PM Leisure time to have lunch and walk around the city on your own (Cost of food not included)

4 PM Transfer provided by Made for Spain to Madrid

5 PM Arrive in Madrid

Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation in Madrid: Villa Magna Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (Kingsize bed/ twin beds)

Check-out

9:15 AM Private Sedan Transfer from Hotel to airport provided by Made for Spain

11:45 AM Take flight to Bilbao - Economy tickets included

12:50 PM Arrive in Bilbao

Private Sedan Transfer to La Rioja wine region (Marqués de Riscal Hotel) provided by Made for Spain (Approximate driving time: 1 hours and 30 minutes/ 123 Kms)

Arrival to La Rioja (Elciego)

La Rioja is synonymous of great Spanish wines. Of course, everyone knows the wines from La Rioja. This area of Spain has over 500 wineries and is internationally famous for the quality of its wines. As well as wine tasting, a visit to this region also offers a range of activities which take place in and around the extensive vineyards, including horse-riding, hot-air ballooning, 4x4 routes…

As a crossroads, La Rioja is a medley of different styles of art and cultures. Right from the Celtiberians up to the Christian civilization, passing through the Visigoths, Romans, Arabs … The very atmosphere of La Rioja is that of a mixture, highly spiced with sharply contrasting traditions. All the cultures of the Iberian Peninsula have a share in La Rioja.

This region is also closely linked to the famous Way of Saint James pilgrim route, and has a whole host of cultural attractions. Apart from its capital, Logroño, you’ll be able to explore other places such as Santo Domingo de la Calzada and its cathedral, San Millán de la Cogolla, site of the monasteries of Suso and Yuso, declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO and known for being the birthplace of the first written words in the Spanish language.

Culture and wine together make an unbeatable combination. And add to that some amazing natural attractions... In La Rioja you'll find Mediterranean forests, high mountain areas, lunar landscapes… But above all, La Rioja is characterized by water. Seven rivers rise in the region and decorate it with diverse landscapes. The River Ebro runs serenely through the area and calls to everyone who approaches it to follow the flow of its waters.

Check-in at Marqués de Riscal Hotel

The Hotel Marqués de Riscal was designed by architect Frank O. Gehry. It is located in the heart of the Rioja wine region. The hotel is ideal for a relaxed holiday. 43 guest rooms, including 11 suites, feature a modern, comfortable atmosphere and unique design. The views of the vineyards and the town of Elciego can be enjoyed from any of the eight terraces located in the two-wing building.

The Marqués de Riscal Restaurant and the 1860 Restaurant delight with an elite selection of wines of the world and offer the best traditional Basque-Riojan cuisine combined with modern influences. The Caudalíe Vinothérapie® Spa leads the leisure facilities, offering an indoor swimming pool, steam room, fitness centre, Jacuzzi, invigorating shower, and 14 treatment rooms with wide variety of "wine therapy" massages and treatments.

The Marqués de Riscal Restaurant and the 1860 Restaurant delight with an elite selection of wines of the world and offer the best traditional Basque-Riojan cuisine combined with modern influences. The Caudalíe Vinothérapie® Spa leads the leisure facilities, offering an indoor swimming pool, steam room, fitness centre, Jacuzzi, invigorating shower, and 14 treatment rooms with wide variety of "wine therapy" massages and treatments.

Rest of day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities and its Spa.

You will be able to visit Marqués de Riscal cellar as you are a hotel client - appointment must be arranged in advance.

We would suggest you having dinner at one of the hotel restaurants (Bistró or Gastronomic restaurant - cost of food not included).

Accommodation at Marqués de Riscal Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (King-size bed/ twin beds)

9 AM Enjoy a full day excursion to discover "Rioja in the Middle Ages: pilgrims, nuns and tapas” with your expert local guide and driver…

Meet your guide at the Hotel lobby

9 AM Private Transfer to Santo Domingo de la Calzada provided by Made for Spain (Approximate Driving Time: 45 minutes)

9:45 AM Arrival to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

9:45 AM - 11 AM You will visit Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a picturesque village along the pilgrims' route, and learn about the traditions, stories and vital importance of this trail in Europe's history.

One of the Rioja towns most deeply marked by the pilgrim's route to Santiago de Compostela is Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Its network of medieval streets, declared a National Historic Interest Site, store a valuable heritage, particularly its walls, the cathedral and the old Pilgrims' Hospital.

The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. The most popular route (which gets very crowded in mid-summer) is the Camino Francés which stretches 780 km. (nearly 500 miles) from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago. Walking the Camino is not difficult - most of the stages are fairly flat on good paths. You will walk some parts of the Camino Frances / French Way, the most traditional of all the pilgrims' ways to Santiago de Compostela and the best known internationally.

Today you will learn about the Pilgrims route to Santiago de Compostela, life in Spain in the Medieval times, the Pilgrims route today, etc.

11 AM You will then do a lovely (moderate) hike in nature, amongst vineyards and along the camino, following the steps of pilgrims - walk between Ventosa and Najera (8 km – 2 hours) along red earth tracks among the local vineyards.

12:30 PM Arrival to Najera

Two cities warrant attention on La Rioja’s stretch of the Camino de Santiago, the 1,000-yearold pilgrimage route to the relics of St. James in Galicia’s Santiago de Compostela. The towns of Nájera and Santo Domingo de la Calzada, which you already visited, each with impressive monasteries, have welcomed famished pilgrims since 1016, the year King Sancho rerouted the southern, Jacobean way to pass through La Rioja.

From 918 to 1076 Nájera was the Royal seat of the Kingdom of Pamplona-Nájera and, as such, the lead political center during the early stages of the Christian Reconquest. Around this time, the Moors reoccupied the nearby town of Calahorra, spreading fears among the royals of Nájera that an attack was imminent. Legend holds that, while hunting one afternoon, the falcon of King García Sánchez III flew into a cave after a partridge; when the King chased after it, he was witness to an image of the Virgin Mary with child, which the king took as a sign he would be victorious in the pending battle. Once he had defeated the Moors and retaken the town of Calahorra, the king ordered that the Monasterio de Santa María la Real be constructed at the site of the cave. The cave is preserved at the foot of the nave of the present 16th-century Gothic monastery. A royal pantheon bears 12 tombs of kings and queens from the dynasties of the 10th and 11th centuries, while in the Gothic cloister with its notable plateresque tracery, later kings have been laid to rest.

Enjoy a brief visit to Cañas nunnery, a hidden gem of Gothic architecture at Santa Maria del Salvador Monastery.

During the Lower Middle Ages, the number of monastic orders in La Rioja increased considerably and either new monasteries were created or the existing ones were renovated. Santa María del Salvador. Cañas was the first completely Gothic monastery to be constructed in La Rioja. Founded by Diego López de Haro in 1170, the construction of the monastery began in 1236. The cloisters are located in the centre of the monastery and the rooms are distributed around them. The Church, which was constructed in the 16th Century, has a three-apse chevet with large oval windows at two different heights. The chapter house is reached through a portico decorated with plant motifs and this now houses the Monastery Museum. Here the tomb of Doña Urraca López de Haro is to be found, daughter of the founder and abbess of the convent; the lid portrays the deceased and the sides represent scenes from her burial.

1:30 PM Meet your driver and transfer to Logroño

2:15 PM Arrival to Logroño

Logroño's stock in trade is wine. It is a quiet sort of town, despite being the capital of La Rioja, situated on the banks of the Rio Ebro. It is important on two counts: that it is on the 1,000-year-old pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago; and that it is the center of La Rioja's wine trade, lying more or less in the heart of the famous La Rioja wine region, noted for its aromatic fine red wines made from the indigenous Tempranillo and Graciano grapes.

Logroño also has a lovely old quarter, deliciously atmospheric and largely pedestrianized, with medieval streets and centuries-old buildings, unaltered for the most part, lending itself to walking around. Among the main attractions here are the 15th-century Catedral de Santa Maria de la Redonda that faces the Plaza de Mercado in the heart of the city, and has a panel crucifixion by Michelangelo; and a couple of 12th-century churches, Iglesia de San Bartolomé that is built from stone taken from the old ramparts of the medieval city, and Iglesia de Santa Maria de Palacio.

2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Enjoy a tapas lunch and a stroll in the old quarter of Logroño

Laurel Street in Logroño is famous for tapas with more than 40 bars that are on this tiny, pedestrian street. Stroll down the length of the street with your escort guide and you will quickly deduce how it works – each bar has its own specialty tapa, which is advertised on the outside of the bar. The specialties in this tapas paradise included such things as patatas bravas, roasted garlic mushrooms on bread (this was the highlight for me), matrimonios (small sandwiches with anchovies and grilled peppers), zapatillas (a hunk of bread with olive oil, tomato and jamón serrano), and sepia.

4:30 PM Meet your driver and transfer to your hotel

5 PM Arrival to your hotel

Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation at Marqués de Riscal Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (King-size bed/ twin beds)

"Drink with the experts: the future of Rioja wines”

9:30 AM Enjoy a full day excursion in La Rioja meeting the experts, tasting their wines and learning their secrets with your expert local guide and driver…

Meet your guide at the Hotel lobby

9:30 AM Private Sedan Transfer to Briones provided by Made for Spain (Approximate Driving Time: 25 minutes)

10 AM Arrival to Briones

You will start your day with a visit to Miguel Merino winery in Briones, where you will be met by Mr. Merino himself, founder, owner and manager of a tiny winery that is challenging the traditional ways of wine making in the region (approximate duration of visit: 1 hour and a half)

Using experimental techniques, trying his own blendings and "thinking outside the box" in anything that regards wine making, Miguel Merino has achieved an undisputed status among his colleagues, chefs and sommeliers. He will share with you his expertise on wine in this exclusive visit and tasting.

Twenty years ago Miguel Merino restored an old 19th Century house on the outskirts of the town of Briones and on the adjoining land built facilities for vinification, barrel and bottle ageing and planted a small experimental vineyard. Now, as one of the smallest and youngest wineries in Spain–their first vintage was 1994- their wines are among the most prestigious in the country, and are exported to over 30 markets.

All the grapes at the Miguel Merino Winery come from very old vines planted in bush formation between 1931 and 1963 in Briones. The vineyards are located in slopes facing South and South-west with low-yielding clay and calcareous soils, at an altitude of 550 metres. Almost all of them are Tempranillo, one of the grape varieties that best reflects the particular conditions of each parcel.

As a radical contrast, continue on to Valenciso, where you will be met by Mr. Valentín or Mrs. Enciso, founders and managers of a winery that is achieving excellence thanks to the thorough control of their product and the restrictions of their approach: Valenciso only produces one wine per year...and they only sell it if it reaches perfection (approximate duration of visit: 1 hour and a half)

The Company was born Valenciso Bodeguera of the vintage 98. Only a single red produced per harvest, always reserve with a single brand, Valenciso exclusively from Tempranillo, from old vines aged in new barrels from the best French coopers who renewed by thirds every year. The philosophy is consistent with a principle that does not support high quality levels: A winery, a brand, a wine. Valenciso prepared to believe that the purpose of wine is a great pleasure to share around a table. It is a wine that grows at the top, example of elegance, subtlety and rich complexity that can achieve the best Tempranillo with careful aging in barrels.

1:30 PM Enjoy an excellent San Vicente de la Sonsierra at Casa Toni Restaurant (Cost of food and wine included)

3 PM Continue to an afternoon wine tasting of top reserva wines in traditional winery Muga, in Haro (approximate duration of visit: 1 hour)

Haro is the de facto capital of the Rioja wine region, home to many of the legendary bodegas (wineries) of La Rioja. It is most famous, however, for its Batalla de Vino, part of the Haro Wine Festival, held on June 29 every year. It begins with a pilgrimage to the shrine of the town's patron saint, San Felices de Bilibio, where combatants unleash their weapon – WINE! what else? – to douse each other in full-bodied red wine, in a mock battle mimicking the frontier battles of yore between the wine-loving Catholics and the wine-abstaining Islamic Moors. The whole event lasts about an hour, followed by a parade in the town's main plaza.

Haro's other principal draws are the Museo del Vino de Rioja which chronicles the history, evolution and creation of Spanish wines, as well as several old palaces and an old town that in 1975 was declared an Historic-Artistic Site. While Haro's other claim to fame, an unlikely one, is that it was the first town in Spain to have electric street lighting.

Bodegas Muga is located in the historical Barrio de La Estación (Railway station district) in Haro. The facilities, in an area of 270,000 square feet, are two centuries old and built mainly of stone and oak. In fact, oak is paramount in the winery industry. There are 200 oak deposits as well as 14,000 barrels made out of different types of oak, ranging from French oak (Allier, Tronçais or Jupilles), American, Hungarian, Russian and even a small consignment of Spanish oak.

4:30 PM Meet your driver and transfer to your hotel

5 PM Arrival to your hotel

Balance of day at leisure.

Accommodation at Marqués de Riscal Hotel. Double Grand Deluxe room (King-size bed/ twin beds)

Check-out

Private Sedan Transfer to San Sebastian provided by Made for Spain - pick up time to be advised (Approximate driving time: 2 hours and 15 minutes/ 164 Kms)

Arrival to San Sebastian

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