Barcelona, Northern Spain & Madrid - 10 Days

On arrival at Barcelona Airport, we transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax or begin exploring the city at your own pace.

Today we discover Barcelona aboard a comfortable double-decker hop-on hop-off bus. With a single ticket, you can explore the city at your own pace, boarding and alighting as often as you wish.

The Orange Route takes us beyond the city’s most emblematic modernist landmarks to its western highlights, including the FC Barcelona stadium and the National Museum of Art of Catalonia. You may choose to visit either museum before rejoining the bus. Alternatively, you can explore El Born, known for its lively atmosphere and excellent cuisine, or simply relax and enjoy panoramic views of the city.

The Green Route focuses on Barcelona’s artistic heritage. From Placa Catalunya to Park Guell, we admire some of the city’s most striking modernist architecture. We see the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece, renowned for the intricate symbolism of its facades. Throughout the journey, we gain insight into Barcelona’s history and cultural identity.

Barcelona - Zaragoza - San Sebastian. Breakfast at the hotel. We transfer to Barcelona "Sants" station to board the high-speed train to Zaragoza. On arrival, we meet our guide and continue by coach to San Sebastian, one of Spain’s most elegant seaside cities and host of the renowned International Film Festival.

We enjoy a panoramic tour of this refined coastal city, set around the sweeping Bay of La Concha and its famous beach. We travel up Mount Igueldo for superb views over the bay and the city below. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

In the afternoon, you may choose to join an optional excursion across the border into France to visit the charming towns of Biarritz and San Juan de Luz.

San Sebastian - Bilbao - Castro Urdiales - Santander. We depart for Bilbao and stop at the Guggenheim Museum for free time to admire its striking contemporary architecture. We continue to the fishing town of Castro Urdiales, where you will have time to explore at leisure.

Later, we travel to Santander, a port city set between sea and mountains, known for beaches such as El Sardinero. With a local guide, we explore the city’s principal sights.

Santander - Santillana del Mar - Covadonga - Oviedo. We travel to Santillana del Mar, one of Spain’s most historic towns, renowned for its medieval streets and the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture in Cantabria.

We continue to Covadonga, where you will have free time to visit the Sanctuary and the Holy Grotto, an important pilgrimage site. In the afternoon, we proceed to Oviedo, set at the foot of Mount Naranco. The city is known for its elegant pedestrian streets and remarkable monuments, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including its impressive Gothic Cathedral.

Oviedo - Mondonedo - Lugo - Santiago de Compostela. We enter the region of Galicia, stopping in Mondonedo. You will have free time to visit its imposing 12th-century cathedral and sample the traditional Mondonedo cake.

We continue to Lugo, where you have free time to see the remarkably preserved Roman walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only complete Roman city walls still standing in Europe. Our journey then takes us to Santiago de Compostela. Its historic centre, also UNESCO-listed, is one of Spain’s most important pilgrimage destinations and marks the final stage of the Camino de Santiago.

We take a guided tour of Santiago, visiting the Plaza del Obradoiro and entering the Cathedral, dedicated to Apostle Santiago el Mayor. The remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy the city’s vibrant university atmosphere and historic streets.

Santiago de Compostela - Salamanca - Madrid. We depart for Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its golden sandstone architecture and one of the oldest universities in Europe. You will have free time to explore and have lunch, at own cost, before we continue to Madrid.

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport. This marks the end of an incredible journey experiencing Spain and all it's beauty.