Board your overnight flight to Barcelona today. 

Welcome to Spain! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner featuring regional wines. 

Roman ruins, Gothic drama, and soaring odes to modernism fill Barcelona with unparalleled landmarks, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today, get to know the Catalan capital on a guided sightseeing tour of the oldest part of the city.

• Set off on a walking tour through the Gothic Quarter, the historic heart of the city with winding alleyways, peaceful squares, medieval buildings, and vibrant nightlife.
• Begin in El Born, a trendy neighborhood home to the historic Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar—the only surviving Catalan Gothic-style church.
• Stroll through Placa Sant Jaume at the center of the Gothic Quarter, home to Barcelona’s government buildings. (It sits where the old Roman city of Barcino once stood.)
• Explore El Call, Barcelona’s Jewish Quarter, to learn about the legacy of its Jewish population. It dates to 70 A.D. and survived pogroms and the Spanish Inquisition.
• Stop for a tasting of churros dipped in chocolate or a refreshing cup of horchata. (The Spanish variety is made with tiger nuts!)
• End in King’s Square, a former medieval palace-courtyard-turned-public space surrounded by historical landmarks sitting atop underground Roman ruins. You’ll also spot the dramatic facade of Barcelona Cathedral: Its construction began in 1298, but it wasn’t completed until the early 20th century.

No trip to Barcelona is complete without experiencing the awe-inspiring beauty of Antoni Gaudí’s brilliant contributions to the cityscape. Take us up on the optional excursion to La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell this afternoon: Your eyes will joyfully bounce between vibrant mosaics and confetti-like bursts of color. Savor every tiny detail—you never know what surprises you’ll uncover when you take your time.

If you’d prefer to wind through Barcelona on your own, go for some rest and relaxation at Barceloneta Beach, where you can take a leisurely stroll on the boardwalk and—if it’s warm—dip your toes in the Mediterranean.

Today’s challenge: Learn how to whip up an authentic Spanish feast during a hands-on cooking class.  

• Tour the Santa Caterina Market in search of fresh produce, cod, pickles, and cheeses. The busy market, opened in 1848, is known for its colorful, wave-like roof made of mosaic tiles. Then, revisit the Gothic Quarter as you make your way to a culinary school. 
• Prepare your own lunch of traditional Spanish dishes under the guidance of a professional chef and enjoy your tasty creations alongside a generous pour of wine.

This afternoon, travel to Cava’s birthplace, just outside of Barcelona, to visit a winery. You’ll visit its underground cellars, buildings, and gardens followed by a fizzy tasting of Spain’s famous sparkling wine. Thanks to a shorter aging period than Champagne, Cava is known for its fresher, lighter taste.  

Please note: Santa Caterina Market is closed on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. 

Board a train and travel through the Aragon and Navarre regions of northern Spain to Pamplona in the Basque Country. You’ll get to know the old city on a walking tour. 

• Begin with an included lunch featuring Txakoli, a locally produced white wine. Expect a refreshing, slightly sparkling sip with crisp acidity and citrusy notes. (Focus on the pour: Txakoli’s traditionally poured from a height to aerate it.)  
• Pass the Plaza de Toros and walk along the Running of the Bulls route. During the San Fermin Festival in July, brave runners, known as mozos, run through the city’s narrow streets and into the arena, chased by bulls.  
• Admire the 14th-century Pamplona Cathedral and its soaring bell tower, as well as the intricate Baroque beauty of Pamplona City Hall. An inscription on the latter’s inner doors reads, “The door is open to all, but especially to your heart.” Use it as your mantra for the rest of your journey.

Later, continue to San Sebastian. You’ll visit a cider house in the city for an included dinner, paired with a tasting of Basque cider. Cider season typically runs from January to April, and visiting a cider house is a must-do cultural experience. Make sure to yell out a hearty, “txotx!” (sounds like “choach”) when you’re ready for another pour.  

 Please note: Porterage is not included on train transfers. You should be comfortable lifting and carrying all luggage over steps, onto platforms, and into storage. 

What Madrid and Barcelona are to culture, San Sebastian is to cuisine. A local guide leads this morning’s tour of  a town considered by many to be the culinary capital of Spain. 

• Pass by Playa de La Concha, named for its resemblance to a seashell, and make your way to the Old Town. Wander through Plaza de la Constitucion and take a beat to gaze at the balconies of the buildings surrounding the square. (They once served as box seating for bullfights held in the plaza below.) 
• Get a taste of Basque culture as you eye the fresh catches sourced daily from the Bay of Biscay at the La Bretxa fish market.  
• Learn how to order pintxos—the distinctive small, shareable plates—from your local guide and indulge in the local art of the pintxo crawl. Bounce from bar to bar, snacking on typical bites like gildas (a potent combination of anchovies, olives, and pickled peppers), txistorras (cured sausage with a kick), and more. For all its culinary pedigree, some of San Sebastian’s best bites are its simplest; one taste’s all it takes to understand why.

Travel west along the scenic Costa Verde to Bilbao and set off on a guided sightseeing tour of the city. 

• Admire the architecture in Bilbao’s Old Quarter, known as the Casco Viejo or Siete Calles (Seven Streets). This maze of narrow alleys is lined with adorable shops, pintxo bars, and traditional Basque eateries.  
• Enter the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, a showplace of modern and contemporary art, and admire its unique, avant-garde architecture alongside a local guide. 
• Enjoy regional fare and wine during an included lunch inside the museum. Prepare for a brasserie-style relaxed haute cuisine experience.

Then, continue to La Rioja and enjoy a free evening in the area. Unwind in your hotel or cap your night with a tapas-and-wine dinner on our optional excursion to Logrono. You’ll walk along the Calle del Laurel, flanked by dozens of bars and eateries.

Spend the morning exploring the villages of La Rioja, then head to a winery for a tasting. The region’s diverse terroir is divided into three sub-zones, each with unique climates and soils that influence the character of their wines.

• Enter the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones to learn about wine history on a self-guided tour with an audio guide.
• Drive through the Ebro river valley and take in views of the vineyards that carpet the landscape.

In the afternoon, enjoy free time in the quaint, cobbled town of Laguardia, known for its medieval fortifications and underground network of approximately 300 caves. Then, enjoy a tour of and tasting in Rioja’s wine region, where you’ll sip several tempranillo wines while nibbling on traditional Spanish tapas. Look for hints of bramble berries and cherries, an occasional trace of plum, and woodsy notes.

Transfer to Aranda de Duero in the Ribera del Duero wine region. The town blends medieval charm with modern touches, but its most unique feature is its centuries-old network of underground caves, known as bodegas. These tunnels, once used for wine storage, are still in use today as cellars where wine is aged. 

• Discover the town’s labyrinthine tunnels and cave system. Taking advantage of the cool, stable temperature beneath the surface, they once served as wine storage and remain in use as cellars to this day.  
• Sip a tasting flight of the region’s classic tempranillos, paired with tapas and chocolate in a cellar room.  Tonight, enjoy a vineyard dinner and wine tasting before settling into your hotel in the Ribera del Duero countryside.

Travel south to Madrid and enjoy a walking tour through the Old Town. Spain’s beating heart, this cosmopolitan capital has anchored the Iberian Peninsula since the eighth century A.D. It’s a massive place, but with the help of a local guide, you’ll get a comprehensive introduction. 

• Pass through Plaza Mayor, one of Madrid’s iconic squares, noted for its elegant, symmetrical architecture. At its center stands a statue of King Philip III on horseback, and the entire space is enclosed by the surrounding buildings, lending it a sense of intimacy despite its size.  
• Walk through the busy San Miguel Market, housed in an intricate wrought-iron building. It’s home to passionate vendors selling everything from artisanal cheeses to cured meats, olives, and pastries. Work up an appetite before stopping by a local tavern to sample wine and tapas.

Tonight, treat yourself to an optional excursion to watch a heart-stopping, soul-stirring flamenco show. This expressive art form combines flamboyant singing, dancing, and clapping—it’s even been recognized by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

If you’d prefer to spend the evening on your own, explore Madrid’s late-night eats or ask your Tour Director for a recommendation.

Uncover more of Madrid today with the help of a local guide and trace the city’s path from a small medieval town to a 16th-century powerhouse. 

• View the Palacio Real. Backed up against the Manzanares river, this 1,450,000-square-foot behemoth of a building—built in the neoclassical style—is the largest royal palace in all of Europe.  
• Walk by the Plaza de Espana, distinguished by a stone monument honoring the writer Miguel de Cervantes, and pass the Temple of Debod. Donated to Spain by the Egyptian government in 1968, this ancient Nubian temple was taken apart, reassembled, and placed in a public park in the center of the city. (Needless to say, it’s one of Madrid’s most unexpected attractions.) 
• Check out Madrid’s many squares, including Plaza Cibeles and Plaza de Neptuno. The latter marks the approach to the day’s final stop: the Prado. Initially the private collection of the Spanish monarchy, this art museum has grown into a world-class attraction. You’ll spend an hour on the works of the Spanish School, admiring art by Francisco Goya and Diego Velázquez.

Join your fellow travelers for a traditional Castilian farewell dinner at a historic Madrid restaurant, served with beer or wine.  

Transfer to the airport for your flight home or continue to Seville to visit its historic churches and Moorish buildings—and, of course, delight in more regional culinary specialties.