Basque Country & Paris Tour 157

1. Arrival in Paris

2. 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Paris City Tour

3. The Louvre. || 48.860776944103975, 2.337638632631153 

Former historic palace housing huge art collection, from Roman sculptures to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."

4. Trocadero. || 48.862817859453465, 2.2875186903966647 

The Trocadéro site of the Palais de Chaillot, is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

5. Champs-Élysées. || 48.872374491647285, 2.2996174935478724 

The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, 1.9 kilometres long and 70 metres wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is located.

6. Arc de Triomphe. || 48.87567023590586, 2.294848081943026 

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the étoile or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.

7. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. || 48.853091483420954, 2.3506213751467597 

Notre-Dame de Paris, referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

8. Eiffel Tower. || 48.85844771745088, 2.294551034577178

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.

9. Hotel check in. || 48.8500085100398, 2.283365721085152

10. Free time

11. Night in Paris

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 48.85002968980308, 2.283258432723579

2. Free morning 

Spend the morning relaxing at the hotel or exploring on your own.

3. 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM - Lunch at Eiffel Tower (walking distance from hotel). || 48.85852536344909, 2.2944652038879196

4. Free time

5. Night in Paris

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 48.849966150487724, 2.2832584327133345

2. Free day 

Spend the day exploring on your own or relaxing at the hotel.

3. 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM - Dinner on Seine River (walking distance from hotel). || 48.727292402430884, 2.477877345241573

4. Free time

5. Night in Paris

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 48.84992732086556, 2.2832477038771772

2. 8:55 AM - Flight from Paris to Bilbao. || 49.00406124409931, 2.569087132732484

3. 10:00 AM - Arrival in Bilbao. || 43.30557906484622, -2.9059592522371913

Bilbao, an industrial port city in northern Spain, is surrounded by green mountains. It’s the de facto capital of Basque Country, with a skyscraper-filled downtown. It’s famed for the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which sparked revitalization when it opened in 1997. The museum houses prominent modern and contemporary works, but it’s the curvy, titanium-clad building that receives the most attention.

4. 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM - Bilbao City Tour

5. Guggenheim Museum. || 43.26881960229723, -2.934017167583759

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, province of Biscay, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of ar

6. Hotel check in. || 43.265358223359485, -2.9250292657308576

7. Night in Bilbao

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 43.2653425981539, -2.925061452239329

2. 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - San Sebastian. || 43.31725549751719, -1.980237672788788

San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs. In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbor vibrant pintxo bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialties.

3. Mendaro. || 43.25241730738501, -2.385899807152514

Mendaro is a town and municipality located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain. The Mendaro Valley is the town's namesake. There is little agreement on the origin or meaning of the word itself.

4. Loyola. || 43.17423123964665, -2.2816546145812664 

Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. The sanctuary stands along the river Urola at the neighbourhood of Loyola (Loiola, a place-name meaning 'foundry made of clay', or possibly 'hut made of clay') in the municipality of Azpeitia, Basque Country, Spain.

5. Free time

6. Night in Bilbao

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 43.265334785549626, -2.925061452239329

2. Guernica. || 43.31136321166403, -2.6811950352737823 

Guernica, officially Gernika in Basque, is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part of the municipality of Gernika-Lumo, whose population is 16,224 as of 2009

3. Casa de Juntas de Gernika. || 43.31327137005976, -2.6796741940001887 

Provincial assembly hall with a stained-glass ceiling depicting the storied Tree of Gernika.

4. Free time

5. Night in Bilbao

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 43.265358223359485, -2.9250292657308576

2. High speed train from Bilbao to Madrid

3. Arrival in Madrid. || 40.41448713855513, -3.7036234036963176

Madrid, Spain's central capital, is a city of elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. It’s renowned for its rich repositories of European art, including the Prado Museum’s works by Goya, Velázquez and other Spanish masters. The heart of old Hapsburg Madrid is the portico-lined Plaza Mayor, and nearby is the baroque Royal Palace and Armory, displaying historic weaponry.

4. Madrid City Tour

5. Royal Palace of Madrid. || 40.418077494928184, -3.714306638893129

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 m² of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest functioning royal palace in Europe.

6. The Retiro Park. || 40.4153749312826, -3.6844941388932386

The Retiro Park, also known as Buen Retiro Park or simply El Retiro, is one of the largest city parks in Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish monarchy until 1868, when it became a public park following the Glorious Revolution.

7. Puerta del Sol. || 40.41688553470178, -3.7036389714355216

The Puerta del Sol is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.

8. Free time

9. Night in Madrid

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 40.4355453580575, -3.664006290565742

2. Free day 

Spend the day relaxing at the hotel or exploring on your own.

3. Night in Madrid

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 40.4355453580575, -3.664006290565742

2. 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Segovia City Tour. || 40.94240983673761, -4.110571962588235 

Segovia is a historic city northwest of Madrid, in central Spain's Castile and León region. Its centuries of settlement have resulted in a rich architectural legacy, including medieval walls, Romanesque churches, a former royal palace and a Gothic cathedral. Its iconic ancient Roman aqueduct has more than 160 arches, most in the original mortarless granite, and stands above Plaza Azoguejo in the heart of the city.

3. Catedral de Segovia. || 40.950427213959124, -4.125137381609984

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Spanish city of Segovia. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and to Saint Fructus and is the seat of the Diocese of Segovia.

4. Alcázar de Segovia. || 40.95270211889289, -4.132521710030283 

The Alcazar of Segovia is a medieval castle located in the city of Segovia, in Castile and León, Spain. It has existed since at least the 12th century, and is one of the most renowned medieval castles globally and one of the most visited landmarks in Spain.

5. Acueducto de Segovia. || 40.94829049049061, -4.11784196822448 

The Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct in Segovia, Spain. It was built around the first century AD to channel water from springs in the mountains 17 kilometres away to the city's fountains, public baths and private houses, and was in use until 1973.

6. Free time

7. Night in Madrid

1. Breakfast at hotel. || 40.435471714386864, -3.6639721569475956

2. Flight back to USA