4 NIGHTS NIGHTS ANDALUSIA FROM MADRID: > MAD+ 1N TOL + TOL* TOL* CO + 1N CO + CO* CO* GR + 1N GR + GR GR MAD + 1N MAD + MAD MAD > > MAD: Arrival at Madrid's international airport. 1N TOL: One night in Toledo. TOL* CO: Transfer from Toledo to Cรณrdoba (Don Quixote route). 1N CO: One night in Cรณrdoba. CO* GR: Transfer from Cรณrdoba to Granada.(MONUMENTS WITH GUIDES FIRST IN CORDOBA)
1N GR: One night in Granada. THE LAST MUSLIM KINGDOM, FRUiT OF AL ANDALUS GR MAD: Granada transfer to Madrid. 1N MAD: One night in Madrid. MAD >: DEPARTURE FROM MADRID BARAJAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Day 1: 1: Arrival in Madrid, Madrid then continue to Toledo Welcome lunch & brief introduction to the current capital of Spain Then continue on to Toledo. We will enjoy night walking in Toledo and receive a gracious welcome in the medina of Toledo. We will conclude our evening with our dinner in the medina. We will then further continue to our hotel nearby the 'Zagra' wall of the ancient city.
Day 2: Morning panoramic view of Toledo and then depart south to Córdoba, through La Mancha, lands of 'Don Quixote' This morning we shall take a panoramic drive around the city of Toledo, stopping to view the beautiful ancient town, surrounded by the River Tajo ('Tash' arabic for 'Crown')from the heights of the opposite hill. After this we will depart South along the 'Route of Don Quixote', through Castilla La Mancha, to Andalusia, where we will reach Córdoba by mid afternoon. The route to Cordoba is 350km but we will break it down with stops at every 140 km for site viewing, meals and prayers at actual mosques available along the route. We will also receive an introductory summary upon the history of Iberia, it's origins, population and religious diversity & division in the Christian Spain before Islam, the origin of Islam and Al Andalus until the arrival of AbdulRahmãn I, the Ummayad Emir founder of Córdoba as the Capital of Al Andalus (300 750E.C). Don Quixote, the famous literary figure, also hides a lot of historical knowledge & wisdom, and many islamic principles which where hidden in the XVII Century Spain under the 'Ïnquisition', so we will be learning briefly about him along our way through La Mancha.
We will stop before reaching Cordoba at a roadside stop oriented to Muslim travellers, offering a generous & varied 3 course buffet meal, as well as prayer & resting facilities.
Upon arrival to Cordoba shortly after lunch time, we will visit a small museum contained within the access tower 'Dar al Hourat' the Tower of Liberty, where we will find the 'Live Museum of al Andalus' gaining an introduction to the old medina, before we walk through it with our Official tour of the medina alQadima (Ancient town) of Cordoba & the Ummayyad Mosque therein (748 1236). After the visits and a short time for leisure & shopping, we will gather the group again for our welcome dinner at Andalusi Courtyard home in the medina of Cรณrdoba.
Day 3: Transfer to Granada Visit Madinat al Zahra the Caliph's Court City nearby Cรณrdoba. The Museum has been awarded both for it's architectonic features as per it's museum exhibition and animated presentations of the nearby Archaeological Ruins of 'Madinat al Zahra'. After this we will cruise along the former border between the Muslim Kingdom of Granada and the four Spanish Chrisitan Kingdoms (since 1236 1492). The route contains views of many castles, towers, 'zagras', white villages, whereby we can vividly recreate the historical vision, until we reach Granada itself, our last destination in Andalusia and also the last Muslim Kingdom of Al Andalus. At Granada we shall meet the final Court City of the Alhambra, more known as the Alhambra Palace or AlKasr AlHamr. The route from Cรณrdoba to Granada also covers the most populated 'Olive tree' plantation and Olive oil production area in Spain and probably world wide too.
Our lunch stop along the way will allow travelers to try the most typical Spanish food (halal) and also gain some knowledge about the Olive Oil industry , enabling us also to purchase olive oil & traditional rural products, in best quality and price. Upon arrival to Granada we will check in at our hotel in the city centre, rest, and further continue to the Albaycin, San Nicolas square, where we shall find the Mosque to pray. From San Nicolas we walk down through the historical quarters & different areas of the Andalusi medina of Granada, arriving to the modern town which is a fusion of Souq markets, old alleyways, riverside & the modern city. Also available are visits to the former Madrassa area, bab Rambla, silk market, hidden within the modern city area, according to travellers interest and energy levels!!.
Day 4: Granada, the last Muslim Kingdom of Al Al Andalus. Tour of the Alhambra court city, palaces and gardens
Guided visit to the Alhambra palatial town, including the Nashrid Palaces, Alkasaba fortress, Generalife summer palace & gardens, and the old medina of the Alhambra.
Afterwards, we will move on to visit the old medina of Garnatta and its main areas, divisions, and city walls. We will visit the Albayzin Mosque at the Mirador de San Nicolas, most famous viewing point of Granada and the Alhambra. Departure to Madrid for our last night in Spain, this time we shall take a straight 5h drive including a 30 minute stop for cofee & tea.
Day 5: Departure from Madrid´s international airport. airport
PRICE INCLUDES: •
All local taxes and legal fees included.
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No travel insurance has been included, though we can offer insurance if required.
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No inbound or outbound flights are included.
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Accommodation at 3-4 stars hotel in Cordoba B/B basis, //OR// Picturesque Town Centre Hostels, //OR// Tourist Tourist Apartments within the Historical Town Centre of the cities pernocted at. This should be clearly listed within the group request confirmation, promotional documentation and calendar schedule information for each group tour/date.
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Tour prices are stated as per person sharing with one more person one double room. Single room upgrade at 3-4 star hotels ranges between an extra 20-25€/night compared to hostels which is 10€/night. Triple and quadruple rooms, we cannot always confirm availability for the whole group in triple or quadruple rooms so we should always ask to the given date and confirm according to availability. Not all hotels have triple, or quadruple rooms, but
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we may gain a further 3€ per night overall the whole group if we do share further than the double prices announced. One free booking (agency group leader) per 20-25 paying pax on most of our hotels (not @ 5 star hotels).
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All transfers are included by private bus or taxi, according to group size. The vehicles used will be between 1 and 5 years of age in Spain and 1-10 years of age in Morocco, counting with air conditioning and safety measures as per European Union regulation (12h/day driving E.U. service regulation).
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AVE Fast Train tickets are included when mentioned for 1st day connection from Madrid to Córdoba and for connection to Barcelona extensions (no free pax).
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Ferry from Morocco to Spain is included in the connecting tours as listed in the itineraries. One of our local Muslim guides will welcome at arrival meeting point (airport, port) and continue with the group until departure.
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We include 2 local Muslim tour conductors from our side for groups over 30 pax and just one for groups <30pax.
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Lunch & Dinner are, or are not included according to the option chosen by your travel agent towards each individual group promotion/date. This should be clearly listed within the confirmation, documentation & posters for each group tour/date. Our pricelists reflect flexible options at set prices.
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Extra activities and options like workshops, excursions, sea, mountain or active sports are not included, though are available upon request at reasonable cost prices. We also have a local catalogue of events of our own promotion which travelers may enjoy to browse through for inspiration.
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Monuments included at cities listed on your itinerary: ◦ Cordoba: Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba*, Baños del Califa**, Live Museum of al-Andalus, Medinat al-Zahra**, Casa Andalusi, Sinagogue** ◦ Sevilla: Alkazar de Sevilla*, Catedral de Sevilla, Torre del Oro, Plaza de España. ◦ Granada Alhambra Palace* & Gardens, Jannat al'Ariff (Generalife) Summer Palace*; Mezquita Mayor de Granada. ◦ Ronda: Casa del Gigante, Casa y Mina del Rey Moro, 'Arab baths' ◦ Other cities (Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona, etc): No monuments included unless specified. ◦ Morocco: Entry to all mentioned sites on the tour program is included.
*Official UNESCO World Heritage Guide included. **This monument is closed on Sundays & Mondays, we usually plan to avoid Sundays & Mondays in Cordoba or Ronda, but anyhow according to each group request we sometimes have to compromise or displace them to another time/day than that listed on the above program.
Flexible, transparent pricing: *
The price lists attached are our best estimated prices; if we were to scratch any further we would be affecting the essence of the tour. However, we do provide a range of price options so that you can choose which services you want to include and which others you want to book separately or 'on the go'.
* This offer has been launched as an estimation reference towards the 2013-2014 average non-festive middle season. The prices allow for revision & minor discounts
depending on the hotels chosen, likewise these prices may increase by over 30% on peak local festivities and high season (Christmas & Easter or local peak holidays). * Please check your estimated group size and choose the correct document. Our pricelists are contained in different documents for different group sizes which are listed accordingly at the top of each price list or cost analysis table: 20pax, 30 pax, 35 pax and 40 pax. * Please consult us upon the best dates to offer your tour as per the Spanish festivities because this way we may further gain 5â&#x201A;Ź per night on a greater part of the tour. * Each table contains different price options, full pension, half board, b&b only or just the 'tour service' for you to make your own hotel bookings directly, we can advise you to our favorite selection on this option. * We cannot confirm any prices until we have confirmation of the following: 1. Travelling dates, arrival & departure locations. 2. Specific tour plan, after choosing or adapting from our catalogue sections, tour modules & optional activity extensions. 3. Number of travellers. * Our prices continue to drop over the whole group as the group size increases. * Please inquire about our 'tour extension modules', containing one and two night extensions into rural settings and singular locations within the growing network of local Muslim friendly & halal locations to enjoy any program within the most refreshingly natural, traditional & picturesque Spanish settings.
Tour Standard Optimization & Budget Tours: Tours:
* The 'budget hostel' is a default option within the first pages of our pricelists and designed for those looking for the most economical group tour option. They are picturesque and cozy, nice 2 star hostel accommodation and lower the tour cost from the standard 3-4 star hotel option by 10-15€/night/person, this option is open mostly for medium sized groups (20 pax) on non-festive dates (requires confirmation). * We usually include our Local A to Z Tour Conducting Guide per 25-30 travelers. * Our larger buses cater 55-62 travelers, * We are all local Muslim youths and have formed by traditional apprenticeship, through our numerous incoming Muslim groups to Andalusia, which are from a very diverse world-wide origin. * As well as full board, half board or simple B&B, we can also deliver welcome dinners at each location, leaving the group to find their own dinners on the remaining nights of the trip, hence finding a middle way as per the dinners, obtaining a price half way between the half pension price and the B&B only tour price. *
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We can lower our daily meal standard average to offer a cost of 8€ /person lunch and 12€ dinner, saving 5€ daily, but we recommend to make every meal a special event and for this we need the extra 2-3 €. For youthgroups & back pack travelers, we can also arrange for your group to stay at our local rural mosque near to Granada, for a reasonable 15€/breakfast included. This is a little unconventional and they would be sleeping on matrices on the floor, with a separate room for and an upstairs accommodated guest room for the teachers. However this would only save us some 7€/night with respect to staying at
a hostel/tourist apartments and may be of interest for the group as it has been some school groups in the past. * If you have a set 'target price' it will be useful to know at an early stage so that we can go to the point and minimize our booking and administration timing. Our pricing method is entirely arithmetic and transparent. We have set costs for all service items required to conduct our standard tours as well as tailor designed tours, allowing you to choose from the services you book with us towards your tour, from planning & booking to tour conducting, transport and ground services. Our tour pricelists are a result of the group costs of each trip module divided into the group members, then bookings and meals per person are added separately. These cost items are reflected in the different columns within each trip cost table, where the route summary is also listed by modules composing the given trip. * We are always open to finding any collaboration system which works for you, and allows us to present an attractive, solid, comfortable and consistent service towards our main objective, for the world to come 'Discover the Secrets of Muslim Spain', AlAndalus. Please contact us with your requirements and we will best assess you with a proposal or solution Insha Allah towards the best for all involved, one where we guarantee satisfaction at any travel standard.
Tour Documentation and Promotion for Partner Agents & Affiliate Distributors:
* Please note that it is your own responsibility to inform your clients about the accommodation standard, meals and any other items & services included or not included within the price chosen from our pricelists. We provide a generous flexibility for you to gain competitive share in the market by ordering an original offer.
* We can also provide tour documentation in digital or print format with the itinerary and complimentary information about the tour, including other selected activities or programs under your own corporative image through which we establish a cobranded partnership towards the tour or event. *
We invite you once you have decided upon a given tour arrangement and date to announce and advertise it through our own website calendar of events, Facebook social network with over 1000 fans, and other social media of our own. We will always announce it as your promotion tour, through which you are our supporting collaborator and establish the final public price and any other details. You may also decide to open your registrations to any group for other parties/schools to join and thereby reduce your costs significantly. Hereby we may also invite your clients to register on any other activities promoted by your company with our collaboration, or any other item or product you choose to become a distributor of as our 'affiliate' booking services, obtaining regular booking fees from the growing agenda & catalogue we deliver.
PAYMENT TERMS
SERVICE BOOKINGS & ARRANGEMENTS: 50% of the total cost of trip bookings due no later than 30 days ahead of arrival. 100% of the total cost of trip bookings must be covered 15 days ahead of arrival.
CANCELATION POLICY
From 31 to 15 days, there will be a due payment of 30% of the night rooms cancelled. From 14 to 3 days, there will be a due payment of 50% of the night rooms cancelled. From 72 hours before arrival cancellations will not be allowed, charging 100% of the night rooms cancelled. No shows will be charged in total for accommodation and any arranged bookings or services. *Some services may allow exceptions but these are the general terms for all services included in this offer.