Cultural
and Heritage Custom Tours
From
historical sites to pilgrimage destinations, France, Spain and Portugal will amaze
you with their ancient cultures and the enchanting diversity of their cultural
and religious heritage. There is so much to discover in those three countries:
classical paintings in Paris, modern art in the south of France, Celtic Galicia,
Moorish Andalusia, Gothic cathedrals, Catholic shrines and Roman theaters, to
name a few.
FRANCE
Paris
to Provence: Capture the essence of France's heritage: a delectable blend
of art, ancient architecture, cuisine Provençale and wine... Tour world-famous
Paris museums, followed by Claude Monet's gardens in Giverny, Avignon and its
Palais de Papes, Arles with the memories of Van Gogh, and Aix-en-Provence, Cézanne's
home town.
Religious
Pilgrimages: Lourdes, Paray le Monial, Nevers, Lisieux, Paris
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SPAIN
Grand
Tour of Spain: A sweeping tour of "the Best of Spain", from
Andalusia with its Flamenco, sherry wine and Moorish architecture to traditional
Madrid and on to "Modernista" Barcelona.
Green
Spain on the Atlantic Coast: Sandy beaches, rugged coastline, tiny fishing
villages, ancient cultural traditions and refined cuisine: Bilbao, San Sebastián,
Oviedo, Lugo, La Coruña, Santiago de Compostela.
Route
of the Castilian Language: Discover the birthplace of Spanish in places
where influential scholars, writers and poets have left their marks on the language:
Bilbao, San Millán de la Cogolla, Burgos, Valladolid, Salamanca, Avila,
Alcalá de Henares.
The
Magic of Andalusia: Romans, Jews, Moors and Christians. Few regions of
the world can compare with Andalusia's cultural heritage and historical complexity
and richness: Málaga,
Granada, Córdoba, Carmona, Seville, Itálica, Jerez de la Frontera,
Arcos de la Frontera.
The
Way of St. James: This
route follows the centuries-old itinerary followed by pilgrims walking from France
to the holy shrine of Santiago de Compostela in the western province of Galicia:
Zaragoza - Pamplona, Santo Domingo, Burgos, Léon, Astorga, Ponferrada.
World
Heritage Cities - Northern Spain: Following this route, you will visit
the World Heritage Sites of Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca, Avila, and Segovia,
plus Ponferrada, León, Zamora, La Granja, and Madrid.
World
Heritage Cities - Southern Spain: This cultural route uncovers priceless
Spanish history and architecture - from Byzantine to Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance,
Baroque and even New Gothic styles. A tour based on this route will take you to
Avila, Cáceres, Córdoba, Toledo and Madrid.
Jewish
(Sephardic) Spain: Before the year 1500, Jews achieved no greater cultural
significance anywhere outside the land of Israel than in Sepharad, the Hebrew
name for Spain. There were Jewish families in Spain earlier, but they came to
live in the Iberian peninsula in earnest during Roman times, as sea routes, roads,
and trade became well organized within the empire.
Religious
Pilgrimages: Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca, Avila, Loyola, Montserrat
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PORTUGAL
A
Taste of Portugal and Spain: This tour (5 days/4 nights) is a brief encounter
with the most important sites of Portugal. It is a regularly scheduled group tour
starting and ending in Madrid with visits to Coimbra, Fatima, Lisbon in Portugal,
plus Salamanca and Caceres in Spain. Starts every Saturday, year round
Highlights
of Portugal: This tour (7 days/6 nights) is an introduction to Portugal,
its history and cultural background, including luxury accommodations in historical
buildings. Once a month - Minimum 4, maximum 12 participants
The
Best of Portugal: This tour (8 days/7 nights) is a journey of discovery
of the best of Portugal: tasting some of the best wines of the Alentejo region,
visiting renowned World Heritage Sites, and learning how port wine is made in
century-old wine lodges. Suggested itinerary - No scheduled departure dates
Heritage
of Portugal: This tour (9 days/8 nights) provides the opportunity to enjoy
the culture of modern Portugal while learning about the country's history and
heritage. Once
a month - Minimum 12 participants to guarantee departure
Northern
Portugal: This tour (16 days/14 nights) takes you to places between Lisbon
and Porto and all the way to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Ancient
castles, medieval monasteries, beautiful scenery and world-class wine are the
themes of this exciting journey around northern Portugal. Flexible
program of day trips customized for independent travelers - Can be shorter and
can start any time
Religious
Pilgrimages - Fatima to Lourdes: Every year, millions of pilgrims gather
at two of the greatest Catholic sanctuaries in Europe: Lourdes in France and Fatima
in Portugal. And,
there are many more opportunities for religious and spiritual tours between those
two shrines: Santiago de Compostela, Leon, Salamanca, Avila, Burgos, Santo Domingo
de Silos, Loyola...
Read
our article
on Portugal
