Madrid, the Basque Country and Barcelona

Day 1:

Overnight Flight to Madrid

Day 2:

Welcome to Spain!

• Meet your Tour Director at the airport
  
• Explore Madrid on foot with your Tour Director, crossing Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor before arriving at Plaza de España, where statues, fountains, and literary figures frame the square

Day 3:

Explore Madrid

• Guided by a local expert, explore Madrid’s sweeping boulevards and royal legacy. From Gran Vía to Calle Mayor, pass Puerta de Alcalá and take in the city’s neoclassical grandeur and stately energy
• Visit the Royal Palace, Madrid’s grandest landmark, with gilded rooms, frescoed ceilings, and centuries of royal history
  
• Free time or Optional Guided excursion to Toledo
• Opt to take a guided excursion to Toledo. Visit the soaring cathedral, see El Greco’s masterpiece at the Church of Santo Tomé, and explore St. Mary’s Synagogue in the heart of the old Jewish quarter
• Enjoy a flamenco evening and feel the energy of live guitar, song, and dance
  

Day 4:

Madrid - Burgos

• Travel via Segovia to Burgos
  
• Visit Segovia Alcázar to explore a turreted fortress that inspired Disney’s Cinderella Castle, perched dramatically above the confluence of two rivers
  
• Guided by a local expert, explore Burgos’ spiritual legacy and royal echoes. Travel just outside the city to Cartuja de Miraflores, a Carthusian monastery steeped in silence and light, then take in the old town’s medieval charm
• Visit the Burgos Cathedral to marvel at a Gothic masterpiece with soaring spires and royal tombs, considered one of Spain’s most breathtaking cathedrals
  

Day 5:

Burgos - Basque Region

• Travel to Bilbao
  
• Explore Bilbao on foot with your Tour Director, winding through the Old Quarter past narrow lanes and cafés before visiting the Gothic-style Bilbao Cathedral at its heart
• Visit the Guggenheim Museum, where modern art meets radical architecture along the riverbank in Frank Gehry’s shimmering, titanium-clad landmark
  

Day 6:

San Sebastián

• Explore San Sebastián on foot with your Tour Director, walking along Playa de la Concha and through the pintxo bars and plazas of the city’s atmospheric Old Town
• Enjoy a pintxos-style lunch in place of dinner, sampling small bites with big flavor
  

Day 7:

Basque Region - Barcelona

• Travel via Pamplona to Barcelona
  
• Explore Pamplona, where history, energy, and narrow lanes lead you from plazas to local cafés
  

Day 8:

Explore Barcelona

• Guided by a local expert, experience Barcelona’s rich contrasts. See the Olympic hill of Montjuïc, wander the Gothic Quarter where medieval streets twist past hidden plazas, and end at Plaça de Catalunya, the pulse of the modern city
• Visit Park Güell, where Gaudí’s playful mosaics, curving benches, and hilltop views capture Barcelona’s surreal spirit
  
• Visit La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s unfinished masterpiece of stained glass and soaring spires
  
• Explore Barcelona on foot with your Tour Director, strolling down Las Ramblas past flower stalls and performers, through the vibrant Mercat de la Boquería, and to the Columbus Monument at the harbor’s edge
• Enjoy a special farewell dinner to celebrate your journey and share a final meal with your group
  

Day 9:

Depart for home