Compare Provence & Spain by AMA Waterways vs 9-Day Madrid, Andalucia with Mediterranean Coast with Barcelona - English Only by Julia Travel

Day 1: Arrive In Paris, France

Arrive in Paris and check in to your hotel. The balance of the day is yours to start exploring this beautiful city.

Day 2: Paris

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you’ll visit Notre Dame and then enjoy some free time to explore the “City of Light.” Afterwards, you’ll see some of the most famous sights on a panoramic city tour, followed by a photo stop at Champs de Mars for views of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 3: Paris

Meals: Breakfast

Today is yours to enjoy however you wish. Explore Paris’ multitude of landmarks, museums, cafes and shops.

Day 4: Paris – Lyon – Embarkation

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

After checking out of your hotel, you will board the TGV high-speed train that will whisk you through the French countryside to Lyon. Nestled between the Saône and Rhone rivers, Lyon is one of France’s most important cities and its gastronomic capital. Upon arrival, enjoy some free time for lunch on your own before an exclusive hands-on cooking lesson. Later, transfer to your luxurious ship, where you will gather with your fellow travelers at tonight’s festive Welcome Dinner. (B,D)

Day 5: Lyon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, you will visit Fourvière Hill, part of the city’s historic region that is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. After some free time to see Notre Dame Basilica and take in majestic views of Lyon, you will join a panoramic tour that will take you past the Place Bellecour with its equestrian statue of Louis XIV, Place des Terreaux with Bartholdi’s Fountain and the Town Hall. Later, enjoy a walking tour of Old Lyon. The afternoon is free to enjoy however you wish.

Day 6: Collonges – Vienne

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning’s tour will take you through the enchanting Beaujolais wine region, also known as the Pays d’Or or “land of the golden stones,” named for the richly colored limestone used to build local homes and castles. You will visit the medieval hilltop village of Oingt as well as the home of a local vintner who will invite you for a wine tasting and vineyard tour as he shares the history of the region’s wine production. Return to the ship in the afternoon and continue cruising towards Vienne. Upon arrival, make the most of your free time and venture about on your own or simply unwind on board.

Day 7: Vienne – Tournon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Situated between the wine regions of Burgundy and Beaujolais, Vienne’s Roman past can be seen in its marvelously preserved ruins. This morning, choose from one of three options to explore Vienne this morning. Your first option is to take a walking tour and see an ancient Roman temple, the ruins of a Roman theater, and the medieval Abbey Church of St. Pierre, today an Archaeological Museum. Your second option is a guided bike tour along a portion of the ViaRhôna bike route. Your third option is a guided hike from the ship up to the Monastery at Mount Pipet and back. Your ship departs at midday for Tournon.

Day 8: Tournon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You have one of three options in which to enjoy your morning in Tournon. Your first option is an exciting ride in a panoramic train car as you discover the magnificent landscape carved along the Gorge du Doux. After riding through the gorge, you will stop at the charming little station of Colombier le Vieux-Saint Barthélemy le Plain, where you can watch the train maneuver in preparation for its return journey. Your second option is a visit to Le Chateau de Tournon for a very special presentation and tasting with a local expert on the paring of red wine and chocolate. Your third option is a hike followed by a wine tasting in the village of Tain Hermitage.

Day 9: Viviers – Avignon

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, you’ll have a choice of one of three different activities. Your first option is to travel by motor coach to Avignon, site of the bridge made famous by the French children’s song "On the Bridge of Avignon." Seven popes once resided in the magnificent Papal Palace, which you will visit during your walking tour. You will also see the well-preserved medieval walls surrounding the historic center of town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your second option is to take an excursion to the impressive Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct that is a masterpiece of ancient engineering and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your third option is a Provencal cooking lesson with a local chef where you will learn how to prepare a savory local dish. Later, enjoy an excursion to Grignan, a hilltop village surrounded by lavender fields. The village’s Renaissance castle provides a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. Afterwards, you will visit a truffle farm and learn about truffle harvesting.

Day 10: Avignon – Les Baux – Arles

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, you will arrive in Arles and board a motor coach for an excursion to the village of Les Baux de Provence. The village’s castle has a fascinating exhibit of medieval weapons. Later, visit an olive farm to learn about this age-old Provençal farming tradition. Alternatively, take the Artist Experience tour to the the Carrières de Lumières, a stone quarry that projects artwork on its walls, and then Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum, where Van Gogh once lived and painted such well-known works as The Irises and Starry Night. Later this afternoon, you have your choice between a city tour of Arles that will show you the city’s top sights, including the Romanesque cathedral and Roman amphitheater, or a guided bike tour through to the Roman ruins. The ship moors overnight in Arles.

Day 11: Arles – Disembarkation – Barcelona, Spain

Meals: Breakfast

Disembark your ship in Arles and transfer to Barcelona via the TGV high-speed train.

Day 12: Barcelona

Meals: Breakfast

Your full day in Barcelona begins with a driving tour to the Gothic Quarter in the medieval center of the city. Next, you will go to the top of Montjuic Hill where you will enjoy glorious views of the city below. During your tour, you will see some of Antoni Gaudi’s unique architectural works, including Casa Milà, Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Familia, the basilica and UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been under construction for over a century. The evening is yours to explore Barcelona on your own.

Day 13: Barcelona

Meals: Breakfast

Your last day in Barcelona is yours to explore at your leisure.

Day 14: Depart Barcelona

Meals: Breakfast

Bid farewell to Barcelona and prepare for your homeward flight. 

 

1st Day (Sat.) MADRID Meet and assistance at the airport, transfer to the hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. Accommodation at the hotel 2nd Day (Sun.) MADRID Breakfast at the hotel. Discover the beauties of the city with a guided city tour. Barrio de la Morería, the Hapsburgs District, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa; the Madrid of the Bourbons and the complex town planning schemes of Charles III, the Royal Palace, Cibeles and Neptuno Fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá. The contemporary Madrid with areas such as Gran Vía, Castellana, the district of Salamanca, Plaza Castilla and Parque del Oeste, as well as commercial and financial areas of Modern Madrid, the emblematic Las Ventas Bullring and the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. Afternoon at leisure to continue exploring the wonders that the city has to offer. Join your fellow travelers for an authentic Welcome Tapas Dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation at the hotel. 3rd Day (Mon.) MADRID – CORDOBA – SEVILLE Breakfast at the hotel. Bond to Andalusia, drive along La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land. Brief stop at typical site in Puerto Lapice. We will drive through the natural border of Despeñaperros to reach beautiful Andalusia, a landmark of enormous heritage from a splendorous past. Arrive in Cordoba and enjoy a tour of its impressive Mosque and its narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter. Continue to Seville. Accommodation at the hotel. 4th Day (Tue.) SEVILLE Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of the Andalusian Capital, Seville. Visit the Cathedral, the second largest in the Catholic world after St. Peters in Rome. Continue to Santa Cruz quarter, the natural scenario of Carmen as well as the myth of Don Juan; Continue to Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España. Afternoon is at leisure for you to enjoy the city of light. Accommodation at the hotel. 5th Day (Wed.) SEVILLE – GRANADA After breakfast at the hotel, drive east through the Caliphate road to the heart of Andalusia. We will drive across endless olive trees fields on the way to Granada. Visit the world famous Alhambra complex and Generalife Gardens. After some time at leisure, join your fellow travelers to experience the most authentic Gypsy Flamenco show including dinner. Accommodation at the hotel 6th Day (Thu.) GRANADA – VALENCIA Bond for the Mediterranean Coast after breakfast. Via Murcia and Alicante, we will reach Valencia, one of the main capitals of the Mediterranean coast with its modern Arts and Sciences Architectural Complex integrated by six elements: Hemispheric, Umbracle, Science Museum, Oceanographic, Palau de les Arts and Ágora. Valencia is also the home of the internationally well renowned and delicious Paella. Accommodation at the hotel. 7th Day (Fri.) VALENCIA – BARCELONA Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of this bright city including the old town and the exterior of the most avant-garde complex: Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Continue your journey in the early afternoon departure towards Catalunya, via Tarragona, the Roman Tarraco. Reach Barcelona, main Mediterranean Spanish city and home to world famous architect Gaudí, symbol of the Catalonian modernism. Accommodation at the hotel 8th Day (Sat.) BARCELONA Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of Barcelona. Drive along the main avenues with its impressive Gaudi modernist buildings such as La Pedrera and Casa Milá. The Montjuïc Park with spectacular views of the city and harbor, Olympic Ring, monument to Columbus and the Olympic Port. Visit the most important landmark in the city of Barcelona, Sagrada Familia. Admire Gaudi’s master work by the hand of your expert local guide. Afternoon is for you to keep on discovering this city. Accommodation at the hotel 9th Day (Sun.) BARCELONA After breakfast at the hotel transfer to the airport. END OF OUR SERVICE.