Barcelona Madrid Spain from a different perspective
Barcelona • Pyrenees • San Sebastián • Logroño • Madrid
from a different perspective
Is this tour for me? from
$1614 CAD Barcelona Pyrenees San Sebastián
8 days
travel style | classic All of the highlights, culture, access, and I-can’t-believe-we-did-that moments, all at a great price. service level | standard Comfortable tourist-class accommodations with character and new perspective; mix of public and private transport.
Bilbao
physical rating | light Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.
Logroño
trip type | small group Small group experience Max 16, avg 12
Madrid
age requirement | 12+ All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tour Outline
1
Day 1
Barcelona
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
Day 2
Barcelona ··· Pyrenees
Head to the Pyrenees region for 2 nights in a ‘casa rural’
3
Day 3
Pyrenees
Enjoy the day in the scenic Pyrenees
5
Day 4
Pyrenees ··· San Sebastián Delicious seafood abounds here
7
Day 5
San Sebastián
Marvel at the buildings and spot the art sprinkled throughout the city
9
Day 6
San Sebastián ··· Logroño
There’s no shortage of sights to be seen when wandering around this city.
Day 7
Logroño ··· Madrid
Travel to Madrid and enjoy free time in this capital city
Day 8
Madrid
11
Stay an extra day or two to fully experience all this lively city has to offer
Day 1
Barcelona
Arrive at any time. We recommend arriving a day or two early to fully explore this vibrant city. There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting 1h18:00 The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour.
Pyrenee Barcelona
Accommodation
ATH CityPark Pelayo Barcelona (or similar)
1
Day 2
Barcelona ··· Pyrenees Take a morning orientation walk of Barcelona, including the Gothic Quarter and Las Ramblas. Head to the Pyrenees region for 2 nights in a ‘casa rural’. Enjoy home-cooked meals and hiking.
A close-up shot of Pyrenees
Explore a bit of Barcelona before an afternoon departure north. Travel to the Pyrenees by local bus and van to reach a ‘casa rural’, or converted farmhouse, near the town of Ainsa. Indulge in delicious local meals and time to explore the beautiful landscape. Optional Activities
Orientation Walk Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO.
30m-1h
He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended. tour is recommended.
Local bus Barcelona – Barbastro
2h30m-3h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy.
Private Vehicle Barbastro – Pyrenees
1h30m
Stretch out and scan the scenery from the comfort of a private vehicle. the ride.
Parc Güell Visit 8 EUR per person
Get away from it all with a visit to the imaginative Parc Guell. The fantastical works of Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) are scattered throughout Barcelona, a grouping of these including Guell Parc, Casa Mila, and the Crypt of La Sagrada Familia were established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Stroll the tree-lined paths and admire Gaudi’s creative genius at play.
Gothic Quarter Visit Free
Visit the old Gothic Quarter with its maze of dark streets, historic cathedral, medieval buildings, bars, and cafés.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
2
Day 3
Pyrenees
Enjoy the day in the scenic Pyrenees. Opt for some hikes in the area or head to Ainsa to explore. Spend another night in the ‘casa rural’.
Pyrenee
Casa Rural
A casa/turism rural is a house located in the sticks, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s meant to be a getaway place, somewhere to hang up your hat for awhile and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. This is where you’ll find an 16th century house nestled in a walled city of 200 people or a modern and newly renovated house overlooking the perfectly blue Mediterranean Sea. And depending on your needs, you can share your experience among other renters over a fully catered meal, or you can have a house to yourself ranging in size, style, and service.
Did you know...
No one made good maps of the Pyrenees until the 1800s. For this reason the Spanish became excellent sailors.
3
Free Time Pyrenees (Full Day)
Nature is calling — head out and explore.
Hiking
Optional Activity
Pyrenees (Free-20EUR per person)
Get your blood pumping and your legs moving in this scenic location. Enjoy spectacular views and varied landscapes exploring the Pyrenees area.
A panoramic experience
The landscape along the mountain range is truly diverse: in the west you experience green, rolling, heavily wooded countryside and in the east, where the climate of Catalonia influences both landscape and lifestyle, vineyards and orchards abound and aromatic scrub covers the hillsides. Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
4
Day 4
Pyrenees
Travel to San Sebastián, the first stop in the unique Basque region of Spain. Opt to take a pintxos (tapas) tour and learn about the different food, dialect, and culture of the area.
San Sebastian
Pyrenee
The real treat in this part of the country is the eating. Basque cuisine is famous in Spain and around the world, with many believing this is the best food in the country. While San Sebastián didn’t invent tapas, they are well-acknowledged to have perfected them. Wander through the streets before lunchtime or in the evening and check out what each bar has on offer. Stop in each place for some wine or beer and sample their tapas (pintxos in Basque) selection. Move on to the next bar and repeat!
The fisheye perspective
Delicious seafood abounds here as well. Looking for more than just pintxos? Head to the harbour and hole up in a traditional simple tavern. Don’t leave San Sebastián without trying the famous jamon iberico. The specialty drink in this area is called the Kalimotxo — half wine (usually red table wine) and half Coca Cola.
5
San Sebastián Optional Activities
Private Vehicle 3h
Pyrenees – San Sebastián
Stretch out and scan the scenery from the comfort of a private vehicle.
Free Time Afternoon
San Sebastián
Get out and explore.
Monte Igueldo Visit San Sebastián (2 EUR per person)
Gain a new perspective of the city with a trip up Monte Igueldo, the hill that overlooks San Sebastián.
Experience a different point of view
Opt to walk the hill or take a funicular for stunning panoramic views.
Beach Visit with Surfing San Sebastián
Grab your swimsuit and head to one of the beautiful beaches in San Sebastián for a fun-filled day on the beach. Try your hand at surfing, and see if you can catch some waves – Playa de Gros is a good place to give it a go.
Surf lessons can be
found for those new to the sport.
Pintxos (Tapas) Tour San Sebastián (15 EUR per person)
See (and taste) what all the fuss is about – Basque cuisine is famous worldwide, with many believing this is the best food in the country. Enjoy a delicious culinary experience on this pintxos (tapas) tour, and learn all about the different food of the area. Meals included: Breakfast
6
Day 5
San Sebastián Take a day trip to Bilbao, known for the stunning Guggenheim Museum. Opt to climb the Mallona Stairs to Parque Etxebarria for beautiful views over the city. Take some time to wander through the plazas, marvel at the buildings, and spot the art sprinkled throughout the city. And, as always, try the pintxos.
San Sebastian
Local bus San Sebastián – Bilbao
1h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Orientation Walk
30m-1h
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/ she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Free Time Bilbao
Full Day
Explore all Bilbao has to offer.
Private Vehicle Bilbao – San Sebastián
1h
Stretch out and scan the scenery from the comfort of a private vehicle.
7
Optional Activities
Guggenheim Museum Visit Bilbao (10 EUR per person)
Be sure to visit the Guggenheim Museum – it’s a must-see, even if just to marvel at the outside of the building. See Frank Gehry’s acclaimed work – he designed this titanium-clad twisting, curving, and angular building to much praise in the 1990s. Tour the building to take in its maritime theme, supposedly representing the ships along the docks of the city, with titanium squares acting as fish scales and the skylights inside designed to look like fish fins.
Basilica of Begoña Visit Bilbao | Free
Take in the beauty of the Basilica of Begoña. It was built in the 1500s with a mix of Gothic architecture and a number of other styles.
Casco Viejo Visit Bilbao
Take some time to wander through Casco Viejo (Old Town), a medieval neighbourhood also known as Las Siete Calles (Seven Streets), that’s considered the most colourful in Bilbao. Discover its many churches, shops, and taverns, and take the elevators to the areas at the top of the hill for further exploration.
Parque de Etxebarría Visit Bilbao | Free
Climb the Mallona Stairs to Parque Etxebarria and be rewarded with beautiful views over Bilbao.
Meals included: Breakfast
8
Day 6
San Sebastián ··· Logroño Travel to Logroño and enjoy an included wine tasting in the Rioja region. With tons of churches, roman bridges, parks, plazas, and ancient buildings, there’s no shortage of sights to be seen when wandering around this city. Meals included: Breakfast
9
Local bus
San Sebastián – Logroño
2h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Rioja Region Wine Tasting Logroño
1h-2h
Enjoy an included wine tasting at a local restaurant and indulge in the local specialties like Tempranillo. Try some pintxos with the local vintages for a true culinary delight.
Day 7
Logroño···Madrid
Travel to Madrid and enjoy free time in this capital city.
Local bus
Logroño – Madrid
3h30m-4h
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride. Logroño Accommodation
Hotel Europa (or similar)
Madrid
Free Time Madrid
Afternoon
Explore the capital city. Free time is yours to use any way you want!
10
Day 8
Madrid
Depart at any time. We recommend staying an extra day or two to fully experience all this lively city has to offer. Meals included: Breakfast
Madrid
11
12
New perspectives acquired Barcelona Casa Rural
Enjoyed the delicious meals and beautiful landscapes while relaxing in a converted farmhouse
Parc GĂźell
Got away from it all and focused on the imaginative Parc GĂźell through the eyes of the creative genius Gaudi.
Gothic Quarter
Found your way out of the historical maze of dark streets and medieval buildings.
Pyrenees Pyrenees Mountains
Experienced a panoramic perspective exploring the truly diverse mountain range in Pyrenees.
13
San Sebastián Monte Igueldo
Gained a new perspective of the city from this beautiful hill.
The Pintxos Tour
Enjoyed a unique and delicious culinary experience.
Guggenheim Museum
Visited the must-see and perspective gamechanger museum and its conceptual building design.
Basilica of Begoña
Admired the 500 year-old Basilica from different angles.
Casco Viejo
Explored the most colourful neighborhood from a bird’s eye perspective.
Parque de Etxebarria
Climbed the Mallona stairs to be rewarded with a 360° view of Bilbao
14
From a different
perspective
Spain has been described as less of a country than a collection of small nations all working together. Each region has its own distinct character, style, even language. This quick 8-day trip introduces you to Spain’s Basque and Catalan provinces the best way: through food, art, culture, and first-person contact. Vibrant Barcelona, unhurried San Sebastián, Bilbao’s fabulous architecture, Logroño’s famous cuisine, cosmopolitan Madrid, and the mighty Pyrenees, all in just over a week? Yeah, we did that.
Come find out how