Day 1 – Arrival in Madrid
Upon arrival in Madrid you will be transferred to your hotel. You will have the remainder of the day to spend at your leisure, getting settled and maybe venturing out to get the lay of the land.
Day 2 – Madrid
Your private guide will meet you at the hotel and take you to on a tour dedicated to Madrid’s glorious past and stimulating present life.
In the morning, stroll down the "Avenue of Art" - home to the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums. You may visit the Prado Museum, which features important works by various European artists.
In the afternoon, explore historic Madrid: the stylish 18th century Baroque and Neo-classical masterpieces, including Cibeles square, the City hall and Alcalá gate, and the so-called Madrid "de los Austrias" (of the Habsburg dynasty), including Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace.
In the evening, dine at a traditional restaurant nearby the Plaza Mayor.
Day 3 – Toledo
In the morning travel from Madrid to Toledo by high speed, in a 25 minute journey from Madrid Atocha Central Station. Your English-speaking guide will meet you at Toledo railway station and will take you then on a private walking tour of the city. The tour includes visits of the Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, the Synagogues of Santa María La Blanca and El Tránsito, San Juan de Los Reyes Monastery and Santo Tomé Church, home to El Greco’s main Picture "The Burial of the Lord of Orgaz" (entrance fees included), the synagogues of Santa Mar&a la Blanca and El Tránsito, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes.
In the afternoon, enojoy shopping for local handcrafts at your leisure, then your guide will take you to visit the workshop of one of the most prestigious damascene masters for an in vivo demonstration of its art. You will never forget the rhythmic and unmistakable hammering to inlay the gold into steel. In the evening you will have dinner at a traditional Spanish "Taberna", just by the Cathedral. writers alike.
Day 4 – Toledo
On today’s tour, explore the superb legacy of the Spanish Renaissance in Toledo and the craft of sword making.
In the morning, visit the Alcazar, the Emperor Charles the Fifth magnificent palace, (currently the Museum of the Spanish Army), Santa Cruz Museum and Tavera Palace. You will also see the Hospital de Tavera, an architectural gem and museum, housing pictures by El Greco, Ribera and Titian, among others.
Your afternoon tour will lead you to a manufacturer of swords, a famous, mythical symbol of the city. The historical art of sword-making in Toledo has evolved into production for collectors and film sets alike.
You will dine in an old palace of the historic town. Afterwards, have a drink in a charming bar situated in a 13th century church, built in Mudejar style.
Day 5 – Toledo
In the morning, discover "the city-convent". Fourteen convents and monasteries dating back to medieval times are still found inside the city walls. Stop at Santo Domingo El Antiguo, where El Greco is buried and several of his paintings are preserved.
Later on, you will discover the marzipan of Toledo, an Arab delicacy, on a visit to the oldest marzipan workshop in town. Learn more about this sweet and taste several varieties (delicias, marquesas, empiñonadas) accompanied by a chilly glass of sparkling cava.
Lunch is a guided wine and tapas tour, including two unforgettable wine bars: one of them set up by a main promoter of wine culture in Castilla-La Mancha.
After lunch, relax in the spa of one of the best hotels of the city, where you will be offered a water circuit and a massage.
Dine in a "cigarral" - a country house with a magnificent view of the city from across the river Tagus. Afterward, take a guided walking tour of Toledo by night. Discover little known corners of the city full of historic and literary significance - the mystery of the Jewish quarter and the "cobertizos" (covered streets between convents).
Day 6 –Tembleque – El Toboso
You will depart Toledo for La Mancha, a sea of olives and vines and the land of Don Quixote, the most famous character in Spanish literature.
Your first stop will be the small, fascinating town of Tembleque, where you will visit a local cheese factory to witness the traditional methods still used to produce Manchego cheese. Enjoy a tasting before departing with your driver for the rest of your excursion.
At a magnificent La Mancha country house, surrounded by Mediterranean forests, your hosts will provide you with lunch and a lesson in the preparation of authentic local dishes.
In the afternoon, you will arrive at El Toboso, home of the Cerventina library and birthplace of the woman who inspired Dulicinea. You will have time to wander around this picturesque town and see its traditional architecture.
Continue to your hotel in Belmonte, where you will enjoy a dinner with accompanying wines.
Day 7 – Belmonte – Almagro
After a visit of the medieval castle of Belmonte, you will stop at a local winery for a unique 'tasting tour'.
The trip from Belmont to Almagro evocates the adventures of Don Quixote. Mota del Cuervo and Campo de Criptana are representative villages of whitewashed dwellings at the feet of a hill topped by windmills. You will stop in Criptana to enjoy the amazing view of the windmills and to visit one of them.
In the lateafternoon, you will arrive in Almagro, the most beautiful town in La Mancha. Almagro is a symbol for the Spanish theatre, as it preserves an enchanting 17th century old theatre. This elegant little town has also been the set of several movies from Pedro Almodóvar. Your hotel is an old convent, beautifully restored, which encloses several traditional courtyards. Find the old large wine barrels still preserved in the cafeteria.
Dinner at the restaurant of the hotel. You will enjoy the tiny Almagro aubergines in brine, a famous local appetizer.
Day 8 – Almagro – Calatrava
Your local English-speaking guide will meet you for entertaining exploration of Almagro’s beauty as a town of the Spanish Renaissance on foot.
Your driver will then take you through the hilly landscape of Calatrava, a land of old volcanoes. Your next stop, the castle and convent of Calatrava, an unforgettable set high above the plains of La Mancha.
In the outskirts of Ciudad Real, the capital city of this province, you will tour the cellars and taste wine at a prestigious local winery. The vineyard is sandwiched between the Guadiana river and the Montes de Toledo. The grounds also hold a restaurant and a stunning modern hotel.
You will be given a private oenological lesson before enjoying dinner in the winery’s hotel restaurant and settling in for the night.
Day 9 – Las Ventas con Peña Aguilera
– Los Navalmorales – Oropesa
In the morning, you will drive across the Montes de Toledo mountain range, an exceptional unique natural reserve in the centre of Spain vibrant with indigenous plant and animal life. On your way, you will come along Torre de Abraham reservoir, which reflects the surrounding Montes de Toledo peaks.
Your first stop is Las Ventas con Peña Aguilera, a small mountain town known for manufacturing and tanning craft leather goods. In one workshop, you will admire the variety and quality of its works and have time for shopping.
At Los Navalmorales, you will visit a goat cheese factory, which manufactures the "Torta"", a delicious creamy cheese. The owner will lead your tasting.
Your last stop is an olive oil factory fitted with advanced techniques and machinery to ensure a very low degree of acidity. After visiting the facilities, enjoy a mouth watering taste of this gorgeous nectar.
Finally, you will arrive at Oropesa, a medieval town in the Western plains of the Toledo province with hillside dwellings facing the Gredos mountain range. Dine at your hotel, situated in an old 14th century castle and palace.
Day 10 –– Puente – Lagartera
This morning, you will depart with your driver to Puente to discover the workshops of the local potters. The pottery of Puente has a recognized history of producing pieces with vibrant motifs outlined in an emerald green color.
In this small town you will visit the local museum, where a fine selection of rich, picturesque, Mozarabic-inspired embroidery is displayed.
Dine at a prestigious restaurant at Lagartera.
You will stay a second night in the medieval castle-palace of Oropesa.
Day 11 – Talavera - Carranque
Accompanied by your English speaking driver, you will stop in Talavera, a lively commercial city to the west of the province of Toledo.
The Talavera ceramic work dates back to Roman times and has evolved through the ages into shapely pottery and elegant tiles. Nowadays, there are still countless craft workshops producing fine, delicate pieces which can be purchased through many stores throughout the city. Stop in at the Museum Ruiz de Luna for one of the finest selections of artistic ceramics in Spain.
Near Talavera you will have time to discover the district of Mentrida, a somewhat lesser known wine region to the west of Toledo. You will visit a modern winery to learn about the signature wines and enjoy a guided wine tasting.
After the visit, you move to the village of Carranque, a small town with an incredible archaeological Roman park, including a villa with one of the best displays of mosaics in Spain.
In the local hotel you will have time to relax in its Roman spa. Your farewell dinner will be prepared with a selection of regional wines. Tonight you will also receive a booklet with recipes of the dinners you have enjoyed on your trip along with the list of wines.
Day 12 – Depart
Our representatives will pick you up upon check-out from the hotel this morning for your private transfer to the Madrid Airport, where you will catch your departing flight.
