[email protected] 800-206-TOUR (8687)   mon - fri 9am - 5pm EST     YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: † Round-trip air from Washington D.C. † Airport Taxes and Fuel Surcharges † Accommodations at First Class hotels for 9 nights: (or similar)      ~ 2 ni | May 15-17: Hotel Catalonia Atocha, Madrid      ~ 2 ni | May 17-19: Hotel Palacio de los Velada, Avila      ~ 2 ni | May 19-21: Hotel Compostela, Santiago de Compostela      ~ 1 ni | May 21-22: Hotel Abba Burgos, Burgos      ~ 2 ni | May 22-24: Hotel Abat Cisneros, Montserrat † Breakfast daily and eight (8) Dinners † Wine with Dinners † Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach † Assistance of a professional local guide and escort throughout † Sightseeing and admissions fees † Arrangements for Mass daily & Spiritual activities † Luggage handling (1 piece per person) † Tips to hotel staff, restaurants, luggage handlers † Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents Optional: Travel Insurance www.206tours.com/insurance Extended Cancellation Protection Plan @ $299 www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection   Not Included: Meals and Beverages not mentioned, Tips to your guide & driver.

Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1, Sat, May 14, 2016: Depart Washington
Depart for your overnight flights to Spain.

Day 2, Sun, May 15: Arrive Madrid
Upon arrival in Madrid airport you’ll be met by your tour escort who will be with you for the duration of your stay. Transfer to Madrid, the capital of Spain. Later, we’ll see the main sights of Madrid during a sightseeing tour. Afternoon Mass will be following by a visit to the Royal palace or the Prado Museum. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3, Mon, May 16: Madrid – Toledo - Madrid
Today we’ll travel to Toledo, which sits on a rocky mound isolated on three sides by a looping gorge of the Río Tajo. Every available inch of this outcrop has Churches, synagogues, mosques and houses heaped upon one another in a haphazard spiral, which the cobbled lanes infiltrate as best they can. Toledo is known as the City of the Three Religions or Cultures because for many centuries the Christians, the Moors, and the Jews lived together in relative equality and peace. The city surrounded by walls hides great treasured: its awesome Cathedral, the Church of Santo Tomé, the Tránsito Synagogue, Santa María La Blanca Synagogue, the superb Church of San Juan de los Reyes, Puerta de Bisagras, Puerta del Cambrón, Puerta del Sol, etc. We return to Madrid for dinner and overnight.

Day 4, Tue, May 17 Madrid - Segovia - Avila
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll depart Madrid and travel to Segovia. We will find a huge number of impressive monuments and buildings inside its medieval walls: the Roman aqueduct; the Cathedral, the last major Gothic building in Spain; the Alcázar, with its narrow towers and turrets; the Vera Cruz Church, built by the Templar Knights; the synagogue, very similar in style to Santa María la Blanca in Toledo; and many Romanesque Churches as San Millán, San Justo, San Martín, etc. Mass will be celebrated, and afterward we’ll continue our journey to the historic walled town of Avila. Two things distinguish Ávila: the perfectly preserved eleventh-century walls which surround the old town, and the mystic writer Santa Teresa, who was born here and whose Shrines are a must see for all Catholic pilgrims! Ávila's atmosphere has changed very little since the days of Santa Teresa, the first woman to be named a Doctor of the Church, to whom the city is dedicated. During our tour of Ávila we will see the Cathedral and San Vicente Church. We will visit the Incarnation Convent, where St. Teresa became a nun and home to the most comprehensive museum dedicated to her life. We also visit La Santa Monastery, built on the site of the house where she was born, and San José Convent, the first monastery founded by the Saint. Overnight in Avila

Day 5, Wed, May 18: Avila - Alba de Tormes - Avila
After breakfast in the hotel we will depart towards the village of Alba de Tormes. It was in this little village where Saint Teresa of Jesus (St. Terese of Avila) passed away in the Monastery of the Annunciation in October 1582. After attending the Holy Mass at the main Chapel of the Monastery where the sarcophagus containing Saint Therese´s remains is situated, we will visit the three small museums opened by the Carmelite Mothers of the Monastery of the Annunciation. In the museum named as the chamber of the relics we will find different objects and relics of Saint Therese and her very good friend and confessor Saint John of the Cross, including two very special reliquaries containing her incorrupt heart and her left arm. In the second and third museums we will see an impressive collection of art: religious paintings, Infant Jesus and Blessed Mother statues. Dinner and overnight in Avila.

Day 6, Thu, May 19: Avila - Astorga - O Cebreiro - Santiago de Compostela
After breakfast in our hotel, we’ll travel to Santiago de Compostela. On our way we will make a couple of stops to visit the city of Astorga and the village of O Cebreiro. Astorga is a very important historical and religious city. Its extraordinary Gothic Cathedral, from the 15th Century presides over the town; the Episcopal Palace or Gaudí Palace houses the Museo de los Caminos, which displays pieces from all Churches related to the Route to Santiago; and the chocolate museum that celebrates Astorga chocolate industry which thrived during the 18th and 19th Centuries. O Cebreiro, with an altitude of almost 4,000 feet, owes much of its existence to the Camino de Santiago. Dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 7, Fri, May 20: Santiago de Compostela (25 year anniver-sary of Fr. Posey’s ordination)
Breakfast at the hotel. The Way to Santiago has for centuries been connected to culture, knowledge and information. Because of its influence on literature and art, Compostela, along with Rome or Jerusalem, became a major pilgrimage destination. This morning we take a short bus ride to Arca do Pino where we will join the walking pilgrims on their way to Santiago to walk a leg of El Camino. At noon we will attend the International Pilgrim Mass at the Cathedral of St. James where Fr. Posey will concelebrate Mass celebrating his 25years of ordination. The Butafumeiro will be swung as a special recognition of Father Posey’s priesthood anniversary. In the afternoon we will visit to the city of Santiago: Obradoiro Square, Fonseca Palace, Gelmirez Palace, Franco Street and the Cathedral. Access to the Doorway of Glory is via the Obradoiro façade. Inside the Cathedral we perform time honored traditions: the important and meaningful one is the hug to the Saint go under the main altar and visit the crypt where the relics of St. James are preserved. Dinner and overnight in Santiago de Compostela.

Day 8, Sat, May 21: Santiago de Compostela - Leon - Burgos
Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we depart towards Burgos. On our way we stop in the city of Leon to see its Cathedral, a Gothic gem and a masterpiece of architecture with the best collection of stained glass windows in Europe (only after Chartres). Next to the Cathedral, there is the Roman Saint Isidoro Basilica (eleventh and twelfth century), where the Saint Isidoro of Seville tomb is kept; and the Saint Marcus Monastery, with its fantastic front in Plateresque style bedecked with shells (the symbol of the pilgrims). We continue to Burgos with its dark stone old town and castle, and magnificent Churches. We explore Burgos magnificent Cathedral where Spanish kings and Queens are buried. Dinner and overnight in Burgos.

Day 9, Sun, May 22: Burgos - Zaragoza - Montserrat
Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning we depart towards Zaragoza. Zaragoza’s city center reflects an air of prosperity in its wide, modern boulevards, stylish shops and bars. We explore the city including the magnificent Basilica del Pilar, built in the place where our Lady appeared to Saint James (Santiago Apostle). Tradition says that in the early day of the Church, Saint James The Greater was spreading the Gospel in Spain, but making very little progress. He was dejected and questioning his mission. About 44 AD, the Virgin Mary, who was still living in Jerusalem at the time, bilocated and appeared to him in a vision to boost his morale. In it, She was atop a column or pillar, which was being carried by angels. That pillar is believed to be the same one venerated inside the Basilica. We will also visit the Cathedral of Zaragoza and have a walking tour of the city. Later we will continue our journey to Montserrat. Dinner and overnight in Montserrat.

Day 10, Mon, May 23: Montserrat -Barcelona - Montserrat
After breakfast we make our way to Montserrat, home to the dramatically set Benedictine monastery. On a rugged mountainside we will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat. Since the 12th-century, pilgrims have been drawn to the mountain to venerate the miraculous statue of the Black Madonna. According to Catholic tradition, the statue of the Black Virgin of Montserrat was carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and brought to Spain. It was later hidden from the Moors in a cave, where it was rediscovered by shepherds in 880 AD. They saw a bright light and heard heavenly music that eventually led them to the Grotto and the statue. The Bishop of Manresa, present at the discovery, suggested that it be moved to Manresa, but the small statue was discovered to be so heavy it could not be lifted. Thus the Virgin had indicated her will to stay on Montserrat to be venerated there. In the 11th century, the abbot bishop Oliba founded a monastery on the mountain of Montserrat next to one of the Chapels, where the Benedictine Abbey is still preserved. We’ll continue to Barcelona for a visit and some time on our own before returning to Montserrat for dinner and overnight.

Day 11, Tue, May 24: Montserrat – Washington
We’ll have breakfast at our hotel. Afterward we’ll transfer to the airport for our return flights home with memories for a lifetime.

aaa DATES SELECT AIRPORT  REGISTER

Options:   Single Supplement / Solo Traveler $499 Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (one-way) - pending availability $1,750 Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (round trip) - pending availability $3,500 First Class available upon request Children's discounts for children under 12 upon request              *All Upgrades & Options will be available to you after you press the Book Now button above*

Additional Information & Travel Tips: 

click here for a printable flyer

Office Use Only FP051416

Basilica del Pilar, Zargoza, Spain
Avila Cathedral, Avila, Spain
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Spain
Palau de Musica Catalana, Barcelona, Spain

206 Tours - Since 1985, Connecting Pilgrims with God, one Pilgrim at a time.