Madrid & Toledo

Flight from Athens to Madrid. On arrival we head straight off for a first panoramic look at the city by coach, with photo stops at places such as Plaza de Castilla with its twin leaning towers (Puerta de Europa) and Las Ventas, the country's largest bullring, and a walk in the city's greatest green lung, the Retiro Park, with its artificial lake.
Check-in at the hotel, a little time to rest, and then a walk through the historic centre: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel, with free time for dinner.

After breakfast we walk to the Prado Museum, passing Plaza de Colón, the Paseo de Recoletos and Plaza de Cibeles with the Bank of Spain and the City Hall, then along the Paseo del Prado to the museum.
The Prado is one of the most important art galleries in the world, with so many famous works that it would take days to see them all. In our 1 hour 35 minutes with an official guide we focus mainly on the Spanish school, with works by El Greco, Velázquez and Goya, as well as paintings from the Venetian school, such as Tintoretto, and the Flemish school, such as Rubens. You then have an hour free to see more works or visit the museum shop.
We then walk from Bourbon Madrid, with its wide open squares and avenues, along the Paseo del Prado, known as the Avenue of Art, to Habsburg Madrid with its many narrow lanes, passing through the Barrio de las Letras, the literary quarter.
From there you are free to get lost in the lanes, try chocolate con churros at the Chocolatería San Ginés or head to Calle Cava Baja in La Latina with its many tapas bars. Later in the afternoon we suggest the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, especially the second floor with its permanent collection, where you can admire some of the most famous works by Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí and, of course, Pablo Picasso's world masterpiece Guernica, along with other well-known works by the artist.

After breakfast we leave for Toledo, the old capital of Spain. We first take a panoramic drive around the city and stop at a high viewpoint for photos, where Toledo appears like a bride showing off her dress. We then visit a workshop of damascene work and swords, the two most typical Toledan crafts.
Next we cross the whole old town on foot from one end to the other, stopping at the church of Santo Tomé, home of El Greco's masterpiece The Burial of the Count of Orgaz.
We then visit the most beautiful cathedral in Western Europe, Toledo Cathedral, where besides the church itself we can see works by El Greco, who lived and created his greatest works in Toledo, and much more…
Free time and return to Madrid.
In the evening, to round off your trip to Madrid, we suggest a flamenco show!

Today we offer an optional excursion to medieval Segovia, where we walk its streets and see the 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, the Plaza Mayor and the Alcázar castle-palace, with a chance to taste local dishes such as cochinillo (suckling pig) or the local sweet ponche segoviano. Return to Madrid in the afternoon. The excursion requires a minimum of 15 participants and costs €50 per person.

After breakfast, transfer to Madrid airport and return to Athens.