Christmas in Castile

THE HEART OF SPAIN, THE BEAUTIFUL CASTILE IN THE LIVING OF THE MOST ANCIENT SPANISH TRADITIONS

DATES OF EXECUTION

Departure date: 12/22

Return Date: 12/26

Necessary documents: Identity card

SUPPLEMENTS:

Single room: €200

Admission package €40 to be paid locally

Compulsory supplementary insurance €30

Registration fee 30€

AIRPORT TAXES €157 (indicative)

THE PRICE INCLUDES:

Shared departure airport transfers A/R - Scheduled flight A/R - Airport/hotel transfers and vice versa - Coach travel - Hotel ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ - Half board - Local escort and guides - Visits and Excursions - Medical insurance and cancellation.

 

PROGRAM:

Day 1: Departure - Madrid

Shared transfer to departure airport (if applicable), Check-in and boarding flight to Madrid. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel, in the evening meeting with the guide, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: Madrid - Avila - Madrid

Breakfast and departure for a full day excursion: in the morning we will visit Avila, with its imposing perfectly preserved walls, visit of the Cathedral. Free lunch. Continuation to the nearby Escorial Monastery, the best representation of the Spanish empire during the 16th century, when over half of the known world belonged to the Spanish Crown. We will see a great collection of the masterpieces of leading painters from the 16th to the 18th century. Return to Madrid. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Madrid - Segovia - Madrid

Breakfast and departure for Segovia, a World Heritage city with unique monuments that are already worth a visit in themselves. The Cathedral, the Romanesque churches, the noble houses, the imposing Roman aqueduct, used up to 150 years ago ! Return to Madrid, free time for lunch. Afternoon panoramic guided tour of the city. The Madrid of the Bourbons will be retraced: the marvelous fountains along the Castellana, the Stock Exchange, the Parliament. The visit will continue in the commercial streets to arrive at the Madrid of the Habsburgs, the historic heart of the city where the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de la Villa are located. Around 5.30 pm free time to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere in the streets of Madrid, always full of life. Free dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Madrid - Toledo - Madrid

Breakfast and departure for Segovia, a World Heritage city with unique monuments that are already worth a visit in themselves. The Cathedral, the Romanesque churches, the noble houses, the imposing Roman aqueduct, used up to 150 years ago ! Return to Madrid, free time for lunch. Afternoon panoramic guided tour of the city. The Madrid of the Bourbons will be retraced: the marvelous fountains along the Castellana, the Stock Exchange, the Parliament. The visit will continue in the commercial streets to arrive at the Madrid of the Habsburgs, the historic heart of the city where the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de la Villa are located. Around 5.30 pm free time to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere in the streets of Madrid, always full of life. Free dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Madrid - Return

Breakfast and transfer to the airport in time for check-in. Upon arrival, continuation for the return with shared transfer (if provided).

TO DISCOVER

In Spain, the celebration of Christmas is particularly felt. It all starts on December 22nd with the Christmas Lottery draw (Lotería de Navidad) , a very important event that contributes to the creation of the Christmas atmosphere. The drawing begins early in the morning and is broadcast by radio and television stations; the voices of the children of the Colegio de San Ildefonso , who sing every year, are heard everywhere.
Christmas Eve is celebrated on December 24: Nochebuena (literally "good night"). On this evening the Spaniards usually gather to celebrate the most important dinner of the year. Usually we meet at the grandparents' house, rarely at the children's. This is a very abundant dinner during which typical local products and specialties of Spanish cuisine are eaten. During the night, villancicos are heard or sung , songs that express happy, but sometimes also nostalgic and sad moods. Some narrate events relating to Bethlehem or the life of Jesus, others speak of daily facts and feelings. Different instruments are used for these songs according to the region, such as the concha de vieira in the north coast, the zambomba in La Mancha and Extremadura or the castanets in Andalusia. After dinner, Santa distributes presents to the children under the tree. On December 25, Navidad , it is celebrated with a banquet similar to the one the night before. On that day, the King of Spain reads the greeting message, broadcast on television.