Northern Spain Explorer

Arrive in Madrid, the Capital of Spain, home to elegant boulevards, manicured parks, cultural museums and fantastic markets. It is one of those places that draws people back time and time again, either for its rich culture, great food and architecture ranging from contemporary to Medieval or simply to sit outside on a busy terraza watching the locals enjoying themselves.



For those arriving on time our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and we will go out for an included drink before dinner. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Madrid at any time. If you would like an airport transfer today, you will need to arrive at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD), which is around 20 minutes from the hotel by taxi. Should you miss the meeting, your leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.



If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to explore the city. The museums are home to some of the best art collections on the planet or the vast El Retiro Park is good place for a leisurely walk, past rose gardens and statues to the boating lake.



If you want to spend more time in Madrid and discover everything that the capital has to offer, we strongly recommend to book one or two extra nights before the tour starts.

After an early breakfast, we bid farewell to Madrid and catch the train north to the Basque Country. The train ride takes around five hours to Bilbao, arriving in the early afternoon. A port city with an industrial past, tucked into a lush corner of northeast Spain and surrounded by rolling green countryside, Bilbao is the largest and most culturally dynamic city in the Basque region.



After lunch, we plan a walk to discover the cobbled streets of the old quarter where we start to learn about the vibrant Basque culture and Euskadi. At the heart of this atmospheric part of the city are Bilbao's Siete Calles, the original seven streets that were constructed in the 1400s, and La Ribera Market is the largest covered market in Europe. Food plays a central role here, as you will discover over the next couple of days, with Bilbao playing host to many Michelin-starred eateries, buzzing Pintxo (Basque tapas) bars and family-run restaurants.



The late afternoon is free to wander and marvel at the spectacular architecture of Frank Gehry's titanium-clad Guggenheim museum. Built on the banks of the River Nervion, the building is a stylized representation of a boat and pays homage to the importance of the river, sea and boats to Bilbao.

After breakfast, we drive towards San Sebastian stopping first in the coastal town of Getaria, famous for its anchovies where we visit a fishery where we learn about the importance of this small fish to the local community and how to can anchovies in the traditional way.



Continue to San Sebastian where we spend the day exploring this marvellous city. San Sebastian, known locally as Donostia, has long been one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain, characterized by its superb cuisine. After arriving, we head first to Monte Urgull to get our bearings and stretch our legs. This hill on the headland looms above the old town and we discover the stone remains of a castle and some fine viewpoints. Back in the old town we explore a maze of grand architecture and pedestrianised alleys littered with quality bars, restaurants and smart shops.



It does not take long for the famous Pintxos bars to fill with locals and you may see some of them drinking Txakoli - a popular white wine, naturally effervescent with moderate alcohol and natural acidity - in tall, flat-bottomed glasses. The tour leader will make some suggestions for lunch and you may choose a Txacoli tasting with some selected Pintxos.



This afternoon, you can explore the old town some more, chill by the beach or we recommend joining the tour leader for a walking tour. Walk the promenade of the Playa de la Concha around the picturesque sweep of golden sand beach, passing surfers until you reach three of Eduardo Chillida's wonderful abstract sculptures being battered by the elements with fine views back across the bay. A nearby funicular ride up and down Monte Igueldo offers superb views of San Sebastian from a classic viewpoint. At the end of a rewarding day, we return to Bilbao for the evening.

This morning, we travel south by charter bus to La Rioja Alavesa, a Basque corner of the Ebro Valley that has a long tradition of producing quality Rioja wines. Our first stop this morning is at a local bodega to learn more about modern life as a wine producer in Rioja and a chance to try some of the famous wines. Some vineyards have chosen modern, striking architecture and we plan to make photo stops outside two of the most emblematic bodegas in the whole region - Ysios (designed by Calatrava) and Marques de Riscal (Gehry).



We stay in a hotel just outside Laguardia - a picture-perfect walled town surrounded by vineyards. The afternoon is free for you to relax and take in the natural surroundings. Alternatively, you can join the Tour Leader for a walk in the local vicinity to explore the village and the beautiful surrounding nature.

Today, we drive through the proudly independent region of Navarra stopping at places of interest and finally into Aragon. The Camino de Santiago, or St. James Way, is an ancient Christian pilgrimage route that leads to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia and the final resting place of Saint James. We plan to join the pilgrim route this morning from Obanos village and walk a short 2 to 3km section of the camino to Puente La Reina, a town heavily influenced by the Pilgrim's route and devotees have been crossing its medieval five-arched bridge since the 14th century. Around lunchtime, we stop at Pamplona to see its medieval old quarter and grand cathedral. The capital of Navarra is most famous for the running of the bulls in its San Fermin festival in July.



Our final stop this afternoon is to visit the historic town of Olite. We visit the luxurious royal residence and castle that King Carlos III of Navarre built in the 14th and 15th century. Part of the old palace is now a Parador hotel and the whole complex was restored in the 1900s after fire damage. Olite is the wine capital of Navarra and the surrounding countryside is largely dedicated to producing wine.



Travelling onwards, we cross into Aragon and finally reach Zaragoza, a city that was heavily influenced by the Moors, a factor wonderfully illustrated by its numerous examples of Mudéjar architecture. We have a short walking orientation tour of the town before dinner, including the impressive El Pilar cathedral.

After breakfast, we drive towards Catalonia where we first stop in the charming municipality of Agramunt famous for its chocolate making. There, we visit a traditional chocolate maker and have the opportunity to discover the artisan elaboration of stone-made chocolate and taste it.



After lunch, we continue our journey by bus to one of Catalonia's most beautiful areas, Montserrat. Montserrat is renowned for its distinctive rock formations, stunning landscapes, and the famous Benedictine abbey which is nearly a 1000 years old. Located on top of the mountain, we take a short train journey to reach the monastery and our hotel for the night. The train winds its way through the mountain's unique skyline, offering spectacular views. Through the panoramic windows you can admire the great beauty of the landscape that surrounds you on the journey from Monistrol to Montserrat. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking.



The afternnon is left free to explore the monastery and its surrounding hills. If you are lucky, you might see the Escolania Choir - one of the oldest boys' choirs in Europe.

After breakfast, we continue our journey to our final destination, Barcelona. We leave Montserrat and drive for approximatively one hour. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel, we take a walking tour through the narrow and winding back streets of the Gothic Quarter, the offbeat and fashionable El Born neighbourhood and the seaside neighbourhood of La Barceloneta. We will try to take in some of the historical covered food markets so you have the chance to try some local specialties to whet your appetite before lunch.



This rest of the afternoon is left free to explore the city. We recommend a visit to Gaudi's Park Guell. Park Güell is an enormous garden with stunning and distinct architectural elements designed by the renowned Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí.

Today's highlight for many is an included guided visit to one of Gaudi's most famous works - La Sagrada Familia. Construction on this unique and enormous Basilica started in 1882 and continues to this day. Due to the limited availability of entrance tickets we will arrange our day around our entrance slot.

There will be a walking tour through the Eixample neighbourhood, home to the majority of Barcelona's Modernisme art nouveau masterpieces, until we reach the grand Placa d'Espanya. From here we take the metro up to Montjuic hill for fine views over the city, ending our walk back in the old quarter near the Rambla.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Barcelona.



There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport (BCN), which is about 30-45 minutes drive away.