Itinerary

Trans North Atlantic Journey May 2022
Date:
May 22, 2022 - June 16, 2022
Meeting point:
Quebec City, Canada
Length:
26 days / 25 nights
Mileage:
7,800 NM
Day 1 - Sunday, May 22: Home -> Quebec City, Canada

Welcome to Quebec! Air Journey staff will greet you at the Chateau Frontenac.
All participants will meet for introductions and attend an extensive briefing covering the general procedures of our Journey as well as details for tomorrow’s departure.
Afterwards, we’ll meet for a welcome cocktail before dinner.

 

Hotel : Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Welcome cocktail and Dinner included
Day 2 - Monday, May 23: Quebec City → Goose Bay, Canada → Reykjavik, Iceland 575+1,340NM

We will fly over the immense forests and numerous lakes of Canada on our way to Goose Bay for a technical stop.
Then continue and land at Reykjavik, on the west-coast of Iceland.
 
 

Hotel : Hotel Borg
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 3 - Tuesday, May 24: Reykjavik

Today we will visit the Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most unique and popular attraction.
Communicating a world of healing power, wellness and beauty, the Blue Lagoon was founded on a unique source of geothermal seawater that originates in Iceland's extreme environment.
 

Hotel : Hotel Borg
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 4 - Wednesday, May 25: Reykjavik, Iceland → Dundee, Scotland 725NM

Fly to Dundee, Scotland’s fourth-largest city and the 51st most populous built area in the United Kingdom.
Upon arrival, we will transfer to the multi award winning Taypark House, former Scots Baronial Mansion. This eye catching building was constructed around 1863 and is set within serene garden grounds and panoramic views across Dundee’s Botanical Gardens and out towards the River Tay and the hills of Fife.

Hotel : Taypark House
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 5 - Thursday, May 26: Dundee, Scotland

With our local guide we will visit Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum located in a grand old Victorian building in the center of Dundee, the McManus keeps a collection of works by 19th and 20th century European masters and local artists, as well as local history exhibits from prehistoric times to the present day.
Our tour then continues to St. Andrews, located on the Scottish coast and a home to the oldest university in the Scotland, St. Andrews is a town filled with history, beauty, and a diverse local culture.

Hotel : Taypark House
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 6 - Friday, May 27: Dundee → San Sebastian, Spain 790NM

Fly to San Sebastian.
The Hotel Maria Cristina is located in San Sebastian’s historic city center overlooking the Urumea River.
While surrounded by gardens and promenades, it is just a short walk from the white sandy beaches
 

Hotel : Hotel Maria Cristina
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 7 - Saturday, May 28: San Sebastian

With our local guide we will go for a half day city tour of San Sebastin and see the Victoria Eugenia Theater, Paseo Nuevo promenade, San Telmo Museum, North Station, Avenida de la Zurriola and Buen Pastor Cathedral.

Hotel : Hotel Maria Cristina
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 8 - Sunday, May 29: San Sebastian

Today we will go for a scenic drive to Bilbao, an industrial port city in Northern Spain and visit the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim is Bilbao’s collection spans from the mid-20th century to the present day, concentrating on postwar  painting  and  sculpture  in  America and  Europe. 
The  collection  includes  key works by significant artists including Anselm Kiefer,  Willem  de  Kooning,  Robert Motherwell, Gilbert  &  George,  and  Richard Serra.

Hotel : Hotel Maria Cristina
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 9 - Monday, May 30: San Sebastian, Spain (LESO) → Seville, Spain (LEZL)

Fly to Seville - capital of Southern Spain’s Andalusia region.
We will transfer to Hotel Alfonso XIII, commissioned by the King of Spain to play host to International Dignitaires during the 1929 Exhibition, Hotel Alfonso remains an iconic cultural landmark.
 

Hotel : Hotel Alfonso XIII
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 10 - Tuesday, May 31: Seville

Today we will go for a half day city tour and explore the history of Seville  – Bridge of Isabel II, Reales Alcazares, La Real Maestranza, Archive of the Indies, Plaza de La Encarnacion, Plaza de Espana and view of La Giralda.

Hotel : Hotel Alfonso XIII
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 11 - Wednesday, June 1: Seville

Today’s day is at leisure to relax or explore on your own.
This evening we will go for a Flamenco dance show, seeing a flamenco show in Seville is an absolute must along with eating tapas and drinking sherry wine!

Hotel : Hotel Alfonso XIII
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 12 - Thursday, June 2: Seville, Spain (LEZL) → Madrid, Spain (LEMD)

Fly to Madrid, Spain's central capital, a city of elegant boulevards and expansive, manicured parks such as the Buen Retiro. 
Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to Heritage Madrid Hotel, an oasis in the heart of city where you can experience unique experiences surrounded by details of classic elegance.

Hotel : Heritage Madrid Hotel
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 13 - Friday, June 3: Madrid

Today we will explore the historic sights and get the background on the Spanish Empire that spanned the globe in the 16th and 17th-centuries. 
Visit Prado, one of the best and most popular art museums in the world. There’s an overwhelming collection of masterpieces by renaissance and baroque masters. Madrid’s green heart and full of elegant gardens, the Retiro Park, was a royal property up to the end of the 19th century when it was opened to the public. Plaza Mayor, a handsome renaissance square and local art nouveau marketplace that dates to 1916.

Hotel : Heritage Madrid Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 14 - Saturday, June 4: Madrid, Spain (LEMD) → Florence, Italy (LIRQ) - Tuscany

Fly to Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscany region considered home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture.

Upon arrival, we will transfer to Castello del Nero hotel. Castello del Nero, at the heart of this historic 740-acre estate is a twelfth-century castle layered with Renaissance frescoes and contemporary design, with interiors by Paola Navone.

The resort offers Michelin-starred dining experiences with estate-to-table Tuscan produce, as well as meaningful wellness therapies.

Hotel : Hotel COMO Castello del Nero
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 15 - Sunday, June 5: Tuscany, Italy

Today we will go for a half day city tour in Florence and discover a myriad of architectural wonders and profusion of exquisite artwork, all of which culminate into one cultural masterpiece of the city.

After our city tour, we will be transfer back to Castello del Nero Hotel to enjoy the resort.

Hotel : Hotel COMO Castello del Nero
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 16 - Monday, June 6: Tuscany, Italy
tuscany

Today is at leisure to relax or explore on your own.

There is a range of experiences that take place at the hotel — from cooking classes and truffle hunting to stargazing and wine tastings.

Hotel : Hotel COMO Castello del Nero
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 17 - Tuesday, June 7: Florence, Italy (LIRQ) → Milan, Italy (LIML) → Como, Italy

Fly to Milan Linate Airport where we will transfer to Como.

Immerse yourself in Lake Como. Enjoy a breathtaking setting on the shores of Italy's most famous lake, Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como exudes romantic Italian style perfectly complemented by timeless Oriental charm. Atmospheric, elegant and incredibly private, the hotel effortlessly blends the romance of the past with the luxury of the present.

Hotel : Villa Cora
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 18 - Wednesday, June 8: Lake Como, Italy

With our local guide we’ll begin an exploration of Como, the lake’s main town, as we discover historic center.
After lunch, enjoy a cruise around Lake Como admiring chic hillside villas and hotels against the backdrop of the Alps.

Hotel : Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 19 - Thursday, June 9: Lake Como, Italy

Today is at leisure to relax or explore on your own.

Hotel : Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 20 - Friday, June 10: Lake Como, Italy → Milan, Italy (LIML) → Catania, Italy (LICC) → Taormina, Italy
taormina

Fly to Catania on the island of Sicily. Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to Taormina’s seaside district on the Mediterranean Sea. Set on its own exclusive beach, beside one of the most beautiful coastlines in all of Italy, Villa Sant ’Andrea Hotel overlooks the tranquil aquamarine sea.

Built by an aristocratic family in 1830 among lush, subtropical gardens, this secluded retreat retains all the charm of a private residence.

Hotel : Belmond Villa Sant' Andrea
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 21 - Saturday, June11: Taormina, Italy
taormina

With our local guide we’ll begin an exploration of Como, the lake’s main town, as we discover its historic center. After lunch, enjoy a cruise along Lake Como admiring chic hillside villas and hotels against the backdrop of the Alps.

Hotel : Belmond Villa Sant' Andrea
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 22 - Sunday, June 12: Taormina, Italy

Today is at leisure to relax or explore on your own.

You can relax at the hotel’s Wellness Center, whether lazing in the spa or dining on nutritious cuisine, practicing yoga on the beach or simply soaking up the sense of serenity, take the time to refresh both body and soul.

Hotel : Belmond Villa Sant' Andrea
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 23 - Monday, June 13: Taormina, Italy → Catania, Italy (LICC) → Ostend, Belgium (EBOS) → Bruges, Belgium

Fly to Ostend, the capital of West Flanders in Northwest Belgium.
We’ll transfer to Hotel Duke’s Palace, former residence of the Burgundian aristocracy and a unique hotel in Flanders, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bruges.

Hotel : Hotel Duke's Palace
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 24 - Tuesday, June 14: Brugge, Belgium

Today we’ll enjoy a walking tour with our local guide as we begin our exploration of Brugge. We’ll visit the famous Minnewater (Lake of Love), one of the most delightful corners of the city, Our Lady's Church — home to Michelangelo’s magnificent 16th-century marble statue, Madonna of Brugge — and the Market Square with its grand Belfry. Admire Brugge’ beautiful Town Hall Square (Burg) and the ornate façade of the Basilica of the Holy Blood. The basilica was originally constructed in the 12th century as the residence of the Count of Flanders.
After lunch we’ll visit the Groeninge Museum (‘The city museum of Fine Arts’). The collection in the museum spans several centuries (from the 14th to the 20th century) and focuses primarily on works by painters who lived and worked in Brugge.

Hotel : Hotel Duke's Palace
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Day 25 - Wednesday, June 15: Brugge → Reykjavik, Iceland 1,110NM

After breakfast and an in-depth briefing, we will launch for our over-water crossing to Iceland and spend the night at Hotel Borg. Dignified and imposing, Hotel Borg overlooks the beautiful square of Austurvöllur, in the heart of Reykjavík, across from Althingi, the Icelandic parliament and the cathedral.

Hotel : Hotel Borg
Breakfast and Dinner included
Day 26 - Thursday, June 16: Reykjavik → Goose Bay, Canada → Home 1,320NM

After breakfast and another in-depth briefing, we will fly to Goose Bay for a technical stop to refuel before flying our separate ways as we head home.

Breakfast included