Tour PagesTour InfoTour Length: Returned Home
Leave Tue. Mar. 12
$6,175 - Total Package $150 - Globus Welcome Back Credit $100 - possible Sign-up Discount * This program may be back in 5 to 8 years. More Information
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Questions?
alex@doldworldjourneys.com / (808) 732-9430 2019 Portugal, Spain & Morocco Returned HomeDay by Day Itinerary
This Tour is FULL and on WAITLIST. For questions, please contact alex@doldworldjourneys.com or (808) 732-9430.
Day 1 Honolulu Departure.Our Portugal, Spain & Morocco adventure begins this afternoon with a departure for the east coast where we make a comfortable connection to Europe. Once the preliminary flight schedule is ready it will be displayed online doldworldjourneys.com under the journey's page. Day 2 Day use rooms in Newark.We are scheduled to arrive into Newark in the morning and transfer to a nearby hotel where we have our own rooms to freshen up and stretch out. In the early evening, we board our direct flight to Portugal. Day 3 Lisbon, Portugal, Arrival.We touch down in the early morning, clear immigration and customs, then transfer to the Olissippo Oriente hotel where our rooms are waiting for us. After breakfast and some time to rejuvenate, browse this cosmopolitan town with Alex. Day 4 Excursion to Obidos, Nazare, and Fatima.The most interesting sights in this part of Portugal will be ours to enjoy on today's full day excursion. First, we stop at the walled town of Obidos, with its picturesque streets and the Pousada do Castelo. A wedding present from King Dinis to Queen Isabel of Aragon, this preserved medieval town is charming and memorable. (Pick up a ceramic spoon rest while you're here.) We break for lunch in Nazare, the most colorful Portuguese fishing village. Next, explore Batalha and its beautiful 14th century monastery containing the tomb of King John I. Our day ends at the world-famous shrine of Fatima. (B), (L), (D) Day 5 Exploring Lisbon.Now the capital of a small country on the western fringe of the Iberian Peninsula, Lisbon was the center of Europe's longest-lived overseas empire. Portugal's imperial ambitions date back to Prince Henry the Navigator's 15th-century discoveries in West Africa. Our guided morning sightseeing features a drive through the Baixa quarter's main squares. Then take a walk through the cobbled alleys of quaint Alfama, the popular quarter of the seamen. Drive along the grand Avenida da Liberdade up to Pombal Square and stop for pictures of Belem Tower, guarding the mouth of the Tagus, and the Monument to the Discoverers. We visit Jeronimos Monastery, where Vasco da Gama is buried. Afterward we have free time for shopping or perhaps a visit to the royal palace of Queluz. This evening we suggest a dinner with Fado-style entertainment. (B) Day 6 Via Azeitao to Seville, Spain.After breakfast we begin making our way south for Spain. Along the way we visit Azeitao and enjoy a visit to a traditional tile workshop. Next our motorcoach brings us to Spain and the vibrant capital of Andalusia, Seville. Sevilla Center hotel. (B), (D) Day 7 Discover Seville.
Listen as our guide explaining of the city's role in the Roman time, its conquest by the Moors in 712 AD, and its contribution to the discovery of the New World. Our sightseeing features the pools and fountains of Maria Luisa Park, the Golden Tower on the Guadalquivir River, and the fine Baroque building which is now the university but used to be the tobacco factory of Carmen fame. Day 8 Via Algeciras to Rabat, Morocco.We travel by coach through the sunny sherry wine region of Jerez to Algeciras and by ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa. Here our Moroccan adventure starts! Follow along North Africa's infamous Barbary Coast to Rabat, once a lair of the corsairs and now the country's capital. Belere Hotel. (B), (D) Day 9 Via Casablanca to Marrakesh.The highlights of our morning sightseeing are the massive medieval battlements, the Royal Palace, Mohammed V Mausoleum, the mighty Hassan Tower, and the Kasbah of Oudaias. We are reminded of the time when Morocco was the Roman province of Mauretania as we visit the fine Roman Relics of Chellah. Then leave Rabat and follow the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean for a stop in Casablanca, Morocco's modern seaport with a strong French accent. Here we enjoy a special lunch being prepared for us at Rick's Cafe Americain, famous from the movie Casablanca. We continue south on our guided panoramic drive and visit the Hassan II Mosque, a splendid monument designed to mark the end of the century. Evening arrival in Marrakesh, situated in an oasis with more than half a million palm trees. Movenpick Mansour Eddahbi. (B), (L), (D) Day 10 Experience Marrakesh.Our guided half-day sightseeing includes Bahia Palace, a former royal residence; elaborately decorated 16th-century Saadian Tombs (if closed, visit the Badia Palace instead); and Djemaa El-Fna, the palpitating town center dominated by the 222-foot-high Koutoubia Minaret. Our afternoon is at leisure to catch up on postcards, bargain hunt in the souks, or take advantage of the amenities at our 5-star hotel. This evening be sure to catch the 30-horse fantasia and Moroccan feast, "Chez Ali." (B) Day 11 To Ouarzazate.Our ride this morning brings us to Morocco's Hollywood, Ouarzazate, deep in the desert and immortalized through movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones. Later we experience the Kasbah Taourirt, a citadel set against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains. As far as fortifications are concerned in Morocco, this is one of the most impressive of its kind. Le Berbere Palace. (B), (D) Day 12 To Erfoud.After breakfast we enjoy a fascinating drive through the desert via the Dades Valley with its oases filled with olives, dates, and figs. Then head through Morocco's Grand Canyon, the Todra Gorge, to Erfoud in the heart of the Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world. Today a special treat awaits us--a spectacular four-wheel drive through the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. We will admire the unforgettable, romantic sunset and sip the traditional mint tea before heading back to the Kasbah Chergui hotel. (B), (D) Day 13 Via Er Rachidia to Fez.This morning we travel north to Fez while enjoying our last views of the desert. Stop in Er Rachidia, originally built as a French settlement, then travel via the Ziz Gorges and the Middle Atlas Mountains to Fez. Blessed with an ample supply of water and strategically situated, Fez became the capital of Morocco when the country shook off foreign rule under Berber King Idris in the 8th century. To this day Fez has remained Morocco's spiritual and artistic center. Tonight savor a typical Moroccan dinner at one of the most popular venues in the city. Barcelo Fes Medina. (B), (D) Day 14 Exploring Fez and to Tangier.First snap pictures of the magnificent entrance to the Royal Palace and then drive through the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter. From here we travel on to the ornate Bab Bou Jeloud, the traditional entrance to Old Fez. Our local guide leads us on a walking tour through the labyrinthine Fes-el-Bali, Morocco's largest medina, to the exquisite Medersa Bou Inania. We continue north to Tangier, the jumping-off point for the Moorish conquest of Spain and hometown of the legendary medieval traveler Ibn Battuta. Grand Hotel Villa de France. (B), (D) Day 15 To Costa del Sol, Spain.After breakfast we board our ferry for the trip back across the Strait to Europe. We continue to the elegant Costa del Sol, where we will enjoy two nights in the pretty resort of Marbella. Amare Marbella hotel. (B) Day 16 Excursion to Gibraltar.Start the day with a visit the Rock of Gibraltar, in British hands since 1704. Hear about its turbulent history, see the Moorish Castle, explore the Saint Michael's Caves, and experience the colony of Barbary apes. Later some time to browse the trendy boutiques or just relax. Tonight, drive to the enchanting village of Mijas and savor some of the best seafood in the region. (B), (D) Day 17 To Granada.Motor away from the Mediterranean and into the mountains to historic Granada. In the afternoon savor its main attraction, the Alhambra, a mighty yet graceful citadel begun by the 13th-century Moorish ruler Al Ahmar. A fantasy of "lace in stone," surrounded by arabesque gardens and fountains, it affords superb views of the Albaicin, Old Quarter, and Sacromonte, a mountain occupied by Gypsy cave-dwellers. Later visit the exotic Water Gardens of the Generalife, the royal summer residence. This evening we enjoy dinner with wine at a local restaurant. Saray hotel. (B), (D) Day 18 Via Toledo to Madrid.Through the arid landscapes of Don Quixote's La Mancha we drive to Toledo. Spectacularly situated on a granite hill surrounded by a loop of the Tagus River, the ancient Castilian capital attracts more sightseers from all over the world than any other Spanish town. A resident expert takes us to the Moorish Bridge, an early synagogue, the 13th-century Gothic Cathedral, and the Church of Santo Tome with one of El Greco's most famous paintings. Before departing for Madrid there is time to visit a Damascene steel workshop. Gran Hotel Conde Duque. (B) Day 19 Discovering Madrid.
The capital of Spain since 1561, Madrid today is a strikingly modern city. Morning sightseeing takes us to Puerta del Sol, Plaza de Espana with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, and more. Then we view the priceless art treasures at the Prado Museum founded in 1819 and considered to have one of the finest collections of European art of the last 8 centuries. Day 20 To the East Coast.To make it an easier transition home and avoid waking up very early we take a mid-morning flight which arrives in Newark in the afternoon. There we transfer to our airport hotel for the night. (B) Day 21 To Honolulu.
Vivid memories of a colorful and rich adventure are with us on our morning flight to Honolulu. We arrive home in the early afternoon. |
