Compare 9-Day Madrid, Andalucia with Mediterranean Coast with Barcelona - English Only by Julia Travel vs Northern Spain, The Rioja Valley and Madrid 2024 by Tauck

1st Day (Sat.) MADRID Meet and assistance at the airport, transfer to the hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. Accommodation at the hotel 2nd Day (Sun.) MADRID Breakfast at the hotel. Discover the beauties of the city with a guided city tour. Barrio de la Morería, the Hapsburgs District, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa; the Madrid of the Bourbons and the complex town planning schemes of Charles III, the Royal Palace, Cibeles and Neptuno Fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá. The contemporary Madrid with areas such as Gran Vía, Castellana, the district of Salamanca, Plaza Castilla and Parque del Oeste, as well as commercial and financial areas of Modern Madrid, the emblematic Las Ventas Bullring and the Santiago Bernabéu Football Stadium. Afternoon at leisure to continue exploring the wonders that the city has to offer. Join your fellow travelers for an authentic Welcome Tapas Dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation at the hotel. 3rd Day (Mon.) MADRID – CORDOBA – SEVILLE Breakfast at the hotel. Bond to Andalusia, drive along La Mancha, Don Quixote’s land. Brief stop at typical site in Puerto Lapice. We will drive through the natural border of Despeñaperros to reach beautiful Andalusia, a landmark of enormous heritage from a splendorous past. Arrive in Cordoba and enjoy a tour of its impressive Mosque and its narrow streets of the Jewish Quarter. Continue to Seville. Accommodation at the hotel. 4th Day (Tue.) SEVILLE Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of the Andalusian Capital, Seville. Visit the Cathedral, the second largest in the Catholic world after St. Peters in Rome. Continue to Santa Cruz quarter, the natural scenario of Carmen as well as the myth of Don Juan; Continue to Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España. Afternoon is at leisure for you to enjoy the city of light. Accommodation at the hotel. 5th Day (Wed.) SEVILLE – GRANADA After breakfast at the hotel, drive east through the Caliphate road to the heart of Andalusia. We will drive across endless olive trees fields on the way to Granada. Visit the world famous Alhambra complex and Generalife Gardens. After some time at leisure, join your fellow travelers to experience the most authentic Gypsy Flamenco show including dinner. Accommodation at the hotel 6th Day (Thu.) GRANADA – VALENCIA Bond for the Mediterranean Coast after breakfast. Via Murcia and Alicante, we will reach Valencia, one of the main capitals of the Mediterranean coast with its modern Arts and Sciences Architectural Complex integrated by six elements: Hemispheric, Umbracle, Science Museum, Oceanographic, Palau de les Arts and Ágora. Valencia is also the home of the internationally well renowned and delicious Paella. Accommodation at the hotel. 7th Day (Fri.) VALENCIA – BARCELONA Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of this bright city including the old town and the exterior of the most avant-garde complex: Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. Continue your journey in the early afternoon departure towards Catalunya, via Tarragona, the Roman Tarraco. Reach Barcelona, main Mediterranean Spanish city and home to world famous architect Gaudí, symbol of the Catalonian modernism. Accommodation at the hotel 8th Day (Sat.) BARCELONA Breakfast at the hotel. Morning city tour of Barcelona. Drive along the main avenues with its impressive Gaudi modernist buildings such as La Pedrera and Casa Milá. The Montjuïc Park with spectacular views of the city and harbor, Olympic Ring, monument to Columbus and the Olympic Port. Visit the most important landmark in the city of Barcelona, Sagrada Familia. Admire Gaudi’s master work by the hand of your expert local guide. Afternoon is for you to keep on discovering this city. Accommodation at the hotel 9th Day (Sun.) BARCELONA After breakfast at the hotel transfer to the airport. END OF OUR SERVICE.

Day 1 Arrive Barcelona

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Le Méridien Barcelona. A transfer is included from Barcelona Airport or the Barcelona Franca train station to Le Méridien Barcelona, ideally located on Las Ramblas. Join us for a private welcome reception and dinner tonight at the hotel as you get your first taste of life in Northern Spain.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Le Méridien Barcelona Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Barcelona, Spain

Day 2 Art and Architecture in Barcelona

Walk along the tree-lined pedestrian promenade of Las Ramblas this morning with a local guide who leads you through the cobblestone lanes of Barcelona's 14th-century Gothic quarter, Barri Gòtic, a medieval warren of Roman relics, hidden courtyards, shops and alfresco cafés, to the Plaça de la Catedral. Set apart from other churches, Barcelona's Cathedral was built between 1298 and 1460 – although its richly decorated façade, guarded by gargoyles, was added in 1870. Go inside to see its medieval origins, from its exquisitely sculpted choir stalls and elegant pillars to the fine workmanship depicted on the pulpit and the alabaster sarcophagus of the crypt of Santa Eulàlia. Your city tour continues with a drive through hilltop Montjuic, rewarding with panoramic views, and a visit to Gaudí's unfinished cathedral, la Sagrada Família, artistically and architecturally unique, and awe-inspiring in every detail. Spend the rest of the day exploring Barcelona as you wish.

MEALS : B

LODGING : Le Méridien Barcelona Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Barcelona, Spain

Day 3 Montserrat and on to the Pyrenees

Head into the mountains today, stopping at the saw-toothed mountain of Montserrat, just northwest of Barcelona, to visit the Benedictine monastery and see the shrine of la Moreneta, the Black Madonna. According to the legend, the statue was discovered in the year 880 by shepherds who saw a strange light in the sky and heard music coming from a cave in the mountain. Since then, it has become one of the most famous pilgrimage sights in Spain. After a lunch of Catalonian specialties, travel through the snow-capped Catalonian Pyrenees to your hotel in La Seu d'Urgell for a memorable two-night stay. Dinner tonight is at the hotel, with wine included.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Parador de La Seu d Urgell

PORTOFCALL : La Seu d'Urgell, Spain

Day 4 Pyrenees Pleasures in La Seu d'Urgell

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of Andorra followed by lunch at a local restaurant. You'll have a choice of activities this afternoon – a hike with a local guide or a walking tour on the cobblestone lanes of La Seu d'Urgell. Enjoy dinner tonight at a local restaurant. 

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Parador de La Seu d Urgell

PORTOFCALL : Zaragoza Spain

Day 5 On to Elciego in the Rioja Valley

Depart La Seu d'Urgell this morning and head to the town of Elciego in the province of Álava in the Basque Country of northern Spain, part of the renowned Rioja wine-producing region. After stopping en route for lunch in Zaragoza, you'll arrive late afternoon in Elciego (Eltziego in Basque), home to the Marqués de Riscal winery and the remarkable five-star hotel that will be your home for the next two nights – the visionary Hotel Marqués de Riscal, designed as a 21st-century chateau by world-famous Canadian-born American architect Frank Gehry, which opened in 2006. After settling in, enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Hotel Marqués de Riscal

PORTOFCALL : Elciego Spain

Day 6 Wine Tasting & Haro in the Rioja Valley

Begin today's explorations in the Rioja Valley wine region (La Rioja) with a tour and tasting at the Marqués de Riscal winery, founded in 1858, whose "City of Wine" includes your ultra-modern hotel and the surrounding winery and vineyards. Next, head to Laguardia in Basque Country for a guided visit, where a walking tour reveals this old town's wealth of historic features, including its medieval ramparts, many Romanesque churches, and the Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes with its well-preserved Gothic tower. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Hotel Marqués de Riscal

PORTOFCALL : Elciego Spain

Day 7 Laguardia, Pamplona & San Sebastián

Leave Elciego this morning and drive to famous Pamplona, immortalized in Hemingway's famous book, The Sun Also Rises; where you'll have the opportunity to walk the route followed during the town's celebrated annual running of the bulls. Then it's on to coastal San Sebastián in Basque Country, where your first view of this popular oceanfront town is from the top of Mt. Igueldo. Regarded by many as Spain's culinary capital, this ancient town also boasts great surfing beaches, stunning architecture and myriad pintxos bars tucked into the maze of medieval lanes in its Old Town (Parte Vieja). Have dinner at your elegant Belle-Époque hotel tonight.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Hotel Maria Cristina

PORTOFCALL : San Sebastián, Spain

Day 8 A day in seaside San Sebastián

Join a local guide for a walking tour along the cobblestone streets of the historic Old Town before spending the rest of the day and evening exploring more of seaside San Sebastián on your own as you please... perhaps sampling typical Basque food and enjoying the town's many waterfront activities, including world-class surfing.

MEALS : B

LODGING : Hotel Maria Cristina

PORTOFCALL : San Sebastián, Spain

Day 9 Bilbao, the Guggenheim & the Cantabria region

Visit the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao this morning, discovering its collection of modern art as you wish. Designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry (who also designed the Hotel Marqués de Riscal, where you stayed in Elciego), the museum is a showcase for large-scale, site-specific contemporary works of art by international and Basque artists, as well as exhibiting a selection of modern art from the Guggenheim Foundation's collection. Continue on to the Cantabria region, stopping for lunch and time at leisure in the perfectly preserved medieval town of Santillana del Mar, then on for an overnight stay one of Spain's architectural gems, historic Parador de Leon – one of the most important monuments of the Spanish Renaissance.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Parador de Leon

PORTOFCALL : Bilbao Spain

Day 10 A Pilgrimage to Santiago

Explore medieval León on a walking tour this morning, seeing a mix of historic and artistic monuments from various periods across the centuries. Stop for lunch along the coast en route to the world-famous pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela before checking in to your hotel late this afternoon, the historic Parador de Santiago de Compostela (also known as Parador de los Reyes Catolicos). Considered to be one of the oldest hotels in the world, it has welcomed travelers since the 15th century. Dine tonight at your choice of restaurants in the parador.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Parador de Santiago de Compostela

PORTOFCALL : Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Day 11 Sights of Santiago de Compostela

When what was believed to be the grave of St. James the Greater was discovered in this region of what is now northern Spain in the ninth century, hundreds of thousands began making the arduous pilgrimage along El Camino de Santiago – the Way of St. James – on foot to visit it. Legend has it that a bright star led a shepherd boy to the forgotten tomb of the apostle; today your local guide leads the way on a guided walking tour of the town's historic quarter and a visit to the world-famous 11th-century Romanesque Cathedral of St. James, home to the relics of the saint. Following lunch at your historic parador, the rest of the day is free to spend as you like, walking in the footsteps of pilgrims who have made their way here from around the world for centuries.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Parador de Santiago de Compostela

PORTOFCALL : Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Day 12 Fly to Madrid for a Two-Night Stay

Depart Santiago de Compostela this morning and fly to Madrid for a two-night stay in Spain's historic capital city. An orientation tour precedes a lunch of local specialties; check into your hotel mid-afternoon; set within a former 19th-century palace, it is within walking distance of Madrid's Royal Palace and the Teatro Real Opera House. Spend the remainder of the day and evening exploring Madrid on your own and enjoying dinner as you please.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques

PORTOFCALL : Madrid, Spain

Day 13 Exploring Madrid & the Royal Palace

Join a local guide for a morning tour of Madrid's landmark sights that includes a guided visit to the Royal Palace. One of largest royal palaces in Europe, the opulent Baroque palace was home to Spanish kings from 1764 to 1931 and today is used for state ceremonies. The remainder of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend as you wish in Spain's storied capital city. We invite you to join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner at your stylish Madrid hotel, converted from a 19th-century palace and boasting spectacular, historic gardens in the very heart of the Spanish capital.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Gran Melia Palacio de los Duques

PORTOFCALL : Madrid, Spain

Day 14 Journey home

Tour ends: Madrid. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques to Madrid–Barajas Airport or Madrid Atocha train station is included. You should allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Madrid, Spain