Solisti 2016 Euro Tour: Itinerary

Thursday, April 7
Fly from Newark Airport to Lisbon

5:00 pm Check in for your flight.
8:10 pm United Airlines flight #64 departs Newark Airport for Lisbon. Meals served on board your transatlantic flight.

Friday, April 8

Arrive in Lisbon (Lisbon)

8:20 am Arrive at the Lisbon Airport. Claim your luggage and clear customs. You will be met by your Cultural Tour Consultants tour Manager, Yvonne Zumpolle, and your Tour Guide, Jú Candeias.
Transfer to the Belém district of Lisbon, at the mouth of the Tagus River from where ships set sail to discover new worlds. Belém is inextricably linked to Portugal’s golden age of discovery.
Arrive at the Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and tour the cloister and church.
Transfer to the Belém Tower to visit the former fortress dating from the early 16th century, a symbol of Portugal’s era of expansion. You will also visit the Monument to the Maritime Discoveries, commemorating the mariners, royal patrons and those who took part in the Age of Discovery. A map dotted with galleons and mermaids shows the routes of the discoverers in the 15th and 16th centuries.
You will also make a short visit to the newly re-opened Royal Carriage Museum.
Afternoon Lunch on your own in Belém.
Transfer to central Lisbon.
Check into your hotel: Avenida Altis Hotel.
Assemble in the lobby and walk to the restaurant.
7:00 pm Dinner (included) at the Nicola Restaurant.

Saturday, April 9

Discovery of Lisbon (Lisbon)

8:00 am Breakfast at your hotel.
9:30 am Meet your guide, Jú, in the lobby and begin a stroll through the Alfama district, the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, dating from the Moorish period of the 11th century and located in the labyrinthine maze of streets and stairways just “below” the Castle. You’ll visit the Castle and the Cathedral, and see picturesque squares, trendy boutiques, Fado taverns and beautiful views from picturesque squares.
Your tour will end at the Fado Museum (entrance included). The Museum celebrates the traditional music of Portugal that originated in the Alfama district in the 19th century.
Afternoon Lunch on your own.
Return to your hotel.
2:00 pm Transfer to the Royal Carriage Museum in Belem.
2:30 pm Rehearsal at the Museum.
5:00 pm I Giovani Solisti performance at the Museu Nacional dos Coches (Royal Carriage Museum) with the Youth Orchestra of the AMAC school, directed by Alexandre Delgado. Reception with AMAC students in adjoining room of the Riding School immediately following performance.
Transfer to Alfama district.
8:30 pm Dinner followed by a Fado performance at Pateo de Alfama (included).

Sunday, April 10

Travel (337 kms/209 miles) from Lisbon to Porto (Porto)

7:30 am Breakfast at your hotel.
8:30 am Board coach and depart depart Lisbon. Arrive in the delightful town of Tomar.
10:30 am Meet your guide, Manuela, and tour Portugal’s oldest surviving synagogue dating from 1430, the 15th century São Joào Baptista Church, and the Convento built by the Knights Templar.
Afternoon Lunch on your own in Tomar.
Arrive in Porto the second largest city in Portugal that boasts several highlights on its unrivaled riverside location.
Check into your centrally located hotel: Teatro Hotel.
Assemble in the lobby and walk to the restaurant.
8:00 pm Dinner (included) at Guarany Restaurant.

Monday, April 11

Discovery of Porto (Porto)

7:30 am Breakfast at your hotel.
9:00 am Meet your guide, Catarina, and begin a tour of Porto. The city’s history dates back to Phoenician and Roman times when Porto was known as Cale (Greek for beautiful), later adding Portus (port) to become Portus-Cale – thus the origin of the country name.
Coach transfer to restaurant located on the other side of the River.
12:00 pm Lunch (included) at Presuntaria Transmontana Restaurant in Villa Nova de Gaia.
Then walk to the Rota do Douro dock.
2:00 pm Begin a 50-minute “six bridges” tour on a rabelo, a traditional sailboat formerly used for transporting barrels of port now motorized to discover the city from the Douro River.
3:00 pm Return transfer to your hotel.
TBA Transfer to Colégio Nossa Senhora da Paz. Snacks offered by the school.
7:00 pm I Giovani Solisti performance in the auditorium of the Colégio Nossa Senhora da Paz. Return transfer to your hotel.
Evening Dinner on your own.

Tuesday, April 12

Travel (504 kms/312 miles) from Porto to Segovia, Spain (Segovia)

7:00 am Breakfast at your hotel.
8:00 am Board coach and depart Porto.
12:00 pm A stop will be made in Salamanca, known as the golden city because of the golden stone with which most of the old city was built.
Afternoon Lunch on your own in Salamanca.
2:30 pm Continue on to Segovia.
5:30 pm Arrive in Segovia and check into your hotel: Infanta Isabel.
Assemble in lobby and walk to restaurant.
8:00 pm Dinner (included) at the Jose Maria Restaurant.

Wednesday, April 13

Discovry of Segovia (Segovia)

8:30 am Breakfast at your hotel.
10:00 am Tour with your guide, Susana, the city of Segovia. You will see the magnificent 118 arches of the Roman aqueduct, constructed 2,000 years ago that is still used to carry water.
Continue with a tour of the landmark Alcazar (castle). Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the bow of a ship.
2:00 pm Lunch (included) at El Bernardino Restaurant. Free time for independent exploration.
6:40 pm Reassemble in hotel lobby and walk to venue.
7:00 pm 30-minute rehearsal.
8:00 pm I Giovani Solisti performance at the San Juan de los Caballeros Museum of artist Zuloaga (former church) . Concert sponsored by the Don Juan the Borbon Foundation. \
Evening Dinner on your own.

Thursday, April 14

Travel (92 kms/57 miles) from Segovia to Madrid (Madrid)

8:30 am Breakfast at your hotel.
9:30 am Board coach and depart Segovia.
11:00 am Arrive at Villaviciosa de Odón and proceed directly to El Coliseo (Teresa Berganza Auditorium).
11:00 am Stage set up.
11:45 am Short rehearsal (30 minutes).
12:30 pm I Giovani Solisti performance. The audience will be the music students of a local school. Meet the students of the local high school.
Lunch on your own near the school.
Continue on to Madrid.
Check into your centrally-located hotel: NH Collection Paseo del Prado.
5:15 pm Transfer to venue.
6:00 pm Short rehearsal.
7:00 pm I Giovani Solisti performance at the Centro Cultural Sanchinarro in northern district of Madrid. Hosted by Talía Music School.
Transfer to restaurant.
9:30 pm Dinner (included) at the Prada a Tope Restaurant.

Friday, April 15

Madrid and Toledo (Madrid)

8:00 am Breakfast at your hotel.
9:00 am Tour historic Madrid with your guide, Susana, OR make an excursion to the city of Toledo (1 hour drive), accompanied by your guide, to visit the major sites including the Cathedral, the Tránsito Synagogue and the Church of Santo Tomé to view El Greco’s painting Conde de Orgaz.
Afternoon Lunch on your own Proceed to the Prado Museum.
5:45 pm Tour the Prado Museum, the greatest cultural institution in all of Spain.
8:30 pm Festive Farewell Dinner at El Barril de las Letras Restaurant.

Saturday, April 16

Return to the USA

Solisti 2016 Euro Tour