Your exciting adventure begins as you arrive in Madrid, the Spanish capital. You will see the white-trimmed 2,800-room Royal Palace and the exquisite gardens that surround it. Other highlights include the Puerta del Sol, Cervantes Memorial, the Plaza de Espana and the acacia-lined Castellana. Visit the Prado Museum, housing a collection of masterpieces by Spain's artists Velazquez, Goya and El Greco.

In Lisbon visit Jeronimos Monastery, a Manueline Renaissance masterpiece, where Vasco da Gama is buried. See the Tower of Belem, Castelo Sao Jorge, the Alfama district, the cobble-stoned streets of the Old Bairro Alto, the Lower Town (Baixa), the Praca do Rossio, arcaded buildings and fountains, and the tropical Estela gardens. In Seville visit Alcazar Palace (closed on Mondays) and the ornate cathedral with Columbus' tomb and Giralda Tower.               

We drive past the many olive and orange groves of the rolling Andalusian hills and then through the barren landscapes of Don Quixote's La Mancha as we head northwards to Toledo. The ancient Castilian capital sits high on a hilltop ringed by Visigoth walls and circled by a loop of the Tagus River resembling a moat. Visit the 13th century Cathedral containing priceless jeweled chalices and paintings before driving to Madrid.

The Plaza Mayor was built during the Habsburg period and is a central plaza in the city of Madrid, Spain. The origins of the Plaza go back to 1576. The Plaza Mayor as we know it today is the work of the architect Juan de Villanueva who was entrusted with its reconstruction in 1790 after a spate of big fires.

While visiting Cordoba. After an orientation tour, we continue to the 8th century Moorish stronghold of Granada in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Range. Afternoon sightseeing includes visits to the Generalife, summer palace of Moorish princes, plus the Alhambra, an ornate, Arabesque confection in pink granite..