Northern Spain | Guided Small Group Tour | 10 Days

DAY 1:                                BARCELONA  

Arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Meet your tour director for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant and enjoy the chance to get to know your fellow travellers. Overnight in Barcelona. (D)  

*We recommend selecting flights that arrive no later than 5pm to ensure you can enjoy the itinerary from the very start. 

DAY 2:                                BARCELONA  

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a morning city tour of Barcelona, passing Gaudí’s highlights such as La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, and visiting Montjuïc Park, the Olympic sites, and the iconic Sagrada Familia. Continue to Port Vell to board a catamaran for a scenic cruise along Barcelona’s coastline, with music, a complimentary drink, and a local tapa on board. The afternoon is free to explore the city at your own pace. Overnight in Barcelona. (B) 

DAY 3:                                BARCELONA – ZARAGOZA – PAMPLONA – BILBAO  

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel southwest through one of Europe’s key industrial and agricultural regions. Arrive in Zaragoza, capital of Aragón, set along the Ebro River. Enjoy free time to admire the stunning Baroque Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar. Continue to Pamplona, renowned for the San Fermín festival and known for its rich Roman heritage, medieval old town, and Gothic Cathedral. Then proceed to Bilbao. Overnight in Bilbao. (B) 

DAY 4:                                BILBAO – SAN SEBASTIAN – BILBAO  

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a Bilbao city tour, then free time to explore the area around the Guggenheim Museum and admire its striking modern architecture. In the afternoon, continue to San Sebastián, famous for its International Film Festival. Take a panoramic tour of this elegant city, including La Concha Bay, the beautiful beach, and Mount Igueldo for spectacular views. Free time to stroll through the city before returning to Bilbao for dinner at a local restaurant to taste the renowned “pintxos,” the Basque version of tapas. Overnight in Bilbao. (B, D) 

DAY 5:                                BILBAO – CASTRO URDIALES – SANTANDER  

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to Asturias, known as Green Spain, and visit the charming old fishing village of Castro Urdiales with some free time to explore. Continue to Santander, a scenic port city nestled between the sea and mountains, famous for its Sardinero Beach. Overnight in Santander.  (B)   

DAY 6:                                SANTANDER – SANTILLANA DEL MAR – COVADONGA – OVIEDO  

Breakfast at the hotel. Travel to Santillana del Mar, one of Spain’s most historic towns, home to architectural treasures such as the Romanesque Collegiate of Santa Juliana. Continue to Covadonga, with free time to visit the Sanctuary and Grotto, dedicated to Our Lady of Covadonga, patroness of Asturias. In the afternoon, head to Oviedo to admire the pre-Romanesque Church of Santa María de Naranco and enjoy free time exploring the city’s pedestrian streets, including the Gothic-style Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Conclude the day with dinner at a traditional cider house with your fellow travellers. Overnight in Oviedo. (B, D) 

DAY 7:                                 OVIEDO – MONDOÑEDO – LUGO – SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA  

Breakfast at the hotel. Journey through Galicia with a stop in Mondoñedo to visit its 13th-century Cathedral and taste the local “Mondoñedo cake.” Continue to Lugo to explore its impressive Roman walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Arrive in Santiago de Compostela, the renowned pilgrimage destination and endpoint of the Camino de Santiago, also a World Heritage site. Overnight in Santiago de Compostela. (B) 

DAY 8:                                 SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA  

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a city tour of Santiago, including a visit to the main square, Plaza del Obradoiro, and the Cathedral (entrance included), dedicated to the Apostle Santiago. The rest of the day is free to explore the charming cobblestone streets at your own pace. Overnight in Santiago de Compostela. (B) 

DAY 9:                                SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA – MADRID  

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the train station to board the high-speed train to Madrid. Overnight in Madrid. (B) 

DAY 10: MADRID  

After breakfast, transfer to Madrid airport. End of services. (B) 

ACCOMMODATION (OR SIMILAR): 

BARCELONA: Catalonia Barcelona Plaza, or Hesperia Presidente  

BILBAO: Barcelo Nervion, or Radisson Collection Hotel Gran Via Bilbao 

SANTANDER: Santemar Hotel 

OVIEDO: Silken Monumental Naranco  

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA: Exe Peregrino  

MADRID: AC Cuzco by Marriot, or Princesa Plaza  

INCLUDES: 

• Private arrival and departure transfers to/from the airport or train station on first and last day of tour
• Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
• 9nights’ accommodation in 4* hotels
• Meals as per itinerary
• Touring withEnglish-speaking tour director**
• Sightseeing tour with local guide inBarcelona, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela
• Entrance fees and local taxes
• Catamaransailingexperiencein Barcelona
• Cider tasting in traditionalcider house in Oviedo
• High-speed train ticket in tourist class from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid

** Please note the tour escort service is not available during the journey from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid.  

THINGS TO NOTE: 

• Accommodation is subject to change without notice. Every effort is made to avoid hotelchanges, butshould a mid-tour hotel change become necessary after this list has been printed, contact details of the new hotel will be supplied to you by your Tour Director.
• Itinerary is subject to change at any time without notice.
• Hotel rooms may not be available for check-in before 2:00 p.m. Service charges and tips for baggage handling are not included in the tour price.
• Tour can be a combination of regular tours;thereforecoach changes may berequired. The same people may not be travelling throughout the tour.
• Due tospecial events, tours may stay in a city that is different to what is mentioned on the itinerary.
• In the unusual event that group number is less than 12 people, the Tour Operator reserves the right tooperatethe tour by minibus or private car with an expert bilingual driver. Local visits to monumental cities will be by official local guides.