Welcome to the start of your Spanish adventure! Your tour leader will meet you at the hotel in Madrid this morning and give the group a brief overview of the upcoming itinerary. Then, head out on an orientation tour of Spain’s capital city! Visit top sights such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, Mercado de San Miguel and more! In the afternoon you’ll have the opportunity to join our Tapas Food Tour optional excursion and get your first taste of Spanish cuisine! This evening, we'll enjoy an included dinner where you can get to know your fellow travellers and learn a bit more from your tour leader about what incredible experiences the next seven days will bring!

This morning, depart Madrid as we make our way to San Sebastian on Spain’s northern coast. Along the way, enjoy a comfort stop in Segovia, a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site city which offers the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in Europe, as well as an incredibly well-preserved Roman aqueduct that runs into the heart of the city. Later this afternoon, arrive in San Sebastian, a charming city with a beautiful beach and vibrant nightlife. Join your tour leader on an orientation tour of the city’s enchanting old town. A foodie’s paradise, San Sebastian is known for its Basque gastronomy, so this evening is best spent exploring the beachfront bars and indulging in pintxo, northern Spain's version of tapas!

Our first stop today is Pamplona, the historic city made famous by “the running of the bulls” during the San Fermin festival. Packed with history, you’ll have some free time to explore the beautiful medieval city centre and see the city walls and citadel. We’ll then head to Zaragoza, enjoying a wine tasting along the way, before taking a walking tour of the city. The city has experienced a long and varied history, with Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian communities leaving their marks over the centuries, as seen in the Basílica del Pilar cathedral, Aljafería Islamic palace and the Roman theatre.

On our way to Barcelona we’ll take a comfort stop in Andorra, a tiny independent principality with a population of just 85,000, located between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains. We’ll enjoy some free time to explore Andorra la Vella, the highest capital city in Europe and a popular ski resort. This afternoon we’ll arrive in the cosmopolitan capital of Catalonia, Barcelona! Your tour leader will acquaint you with the city’s vibrant energy with a driving tour, so keep your eyes open for the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral, and some of the spectacular examples of Antoni Gaudi’s eclectic art and architecture. After checking into our hotel, we’ll head out to a local restaurant for a true Catalonian dinner.

Today is yours to do with as you please! See the panoramic views from Park Guell, with it’s interesting design courtesy of Anton Gaudi. Barcelona is home to many of Gaudi’s architectural works and you could spend the whole day simply locating each one. Visit Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia - an interpretation of a Gothic cathedral which is unlike any building you will ever see. You can’t miss it from Park Guell, or most other vantage points in the city. Harbour tours, La Ramblas, the ‘Old Town’, museums, art galleries and some of Europe’s best shopping - there is much to do in this incredible city. Join our optional excursion to see a traditional Flamenco show - an experience not to be missed.

Leaving Barcelona behind we’ll make our way south down the coast towards Valencia, stopping off along the way in Peniscola. With a historic old town, beautiful promenade and sandy beach overlooked by an imposing castle built by the Knights Templar, there are few more picturesque places in Europe to enjoy a lunch stop. Once we’ve arrived in Valencia we’ll enjoy an orientation tour of this thriving port city, which retains plenty of historic charm despite the decades of development that have given it a distinct space-age feel. As our last night on tour, we’ll round off the day with a farewell paella dinner this evening.

Our journey continues through the historic La Mancha region, made famous by the legend of Don Quixote. Later, we’ll explore Castillo de Belmonte, with entrance to this medieval castle included in your tour package. The interiors are dominated by spectacular stucco works in the Gothic and Moorish styles, and a beautiful Neo-Gothic courtyard. Later this afternoon we’ll arrive back in Madrid for the end of the tour.