Barcelona to Toledo

Days 1-2

Your group will take an overnight flight to Barcelona, where your Joshua Expeditions guide will meet you in the airport. A private coach will take you to the city center, where your group will visit the Gothic Quarter and wander down the ancient narrow streets, stopping along the way in beautiful plazas and courtyards. You will tour the interior of Barcelona Cathedral, which is an excellent example of Catalonian Gothic architecture, then your group will stop for lunch in the area. During the afternoon you will be able to stroll through La Rambla, a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard filled with street vendors and performers, and before the day ends, you will have a chance to visit La Pedrera, the apartment house designed by Guadi in the early 1900s. Dinner and devotions at the hotel will conclude your first day in Spain.

Day 3

Following breakfast, your group will again board the coach and take a local guided panorama tour of Barcelona. The first stop will be the Poble Espanyol. Built for the 1929 World’s Fair, this recreated Spanish village contains ten centuries worth of Spanish architecture as well as numerous cultural exhibits and presentations. In the afternoon, you will visit Park Güell and see the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s unfinished and controversial cathedral. After an evening meal, you might opt to take in a Flamenco dancing show before closing the day with group devotions. (Fees for optional activities are not included in the price of the trip.)

Day 4

This morning the group will head over to Madrid, stopping along the way in Zaragoza for lunch and a visit to one of Spain’s largest and most important baroque churches, Basílica del Pilar. Following check-in at the hotel in Madrid, you will enjoy a guided walking tour of the Puerta del Sol, then have dinner in the city center before heading to the hotel for devotions and discussion.

Day 5

Your day begins with a guided walking tour of Madrid, starting in Plaza Mayor. You will also enjoy a tour of Plaza de España before spending the afternoon at the Reina Sofía museum, home of Picasso’s famous painting Guernica. Following dinner you will have some free time to shop and explore Madrid on your own before returning to the hotel for devotions and a preview of the next day's activities.

Day 6

This morning your group will journey by bus to ancient Toledo, located only one hour south of Madrid. Toledo is overflowing with great art, medieval magic, echoes of El Greco, and plenty of souvenirs. You will visit the city's gothic cathedral, and in the afternoon you will have time for some shopping, as well. The group will return to Madrid in the evening and visit the Prado Museum before closing the day with devotions at the hotel.

Day 7

This morning your group will conclude the tour of Spain as you travel to the airport for the flight home.