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Itinerary

SEPTEMBER 19 – USA / MADRID: Fly transatlantic overnight from the USA to Madrid, Spain. Dinner is served, and in-flight entertainment is provided.

SEPTEMBER 20 – ARRIVE IN MADRID, SPAIN: Welcome to Spain! After clearing customs, enter the arrivals area where you will meet your tour director and coach driver. Make your way to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of your morning and afternoon at leisure in Madrid. This evening enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. (D)

SEPTEMBER 21 – MADRID: Begin your day with a guided visit to the unforgettable Prado Museum. One of Madrid’s main attractions for many visitors, the gallery houses remarkable works by Spain’s three great masters: Goya, Velázquez, and El Greco. Continue with an exploration of the opulent Royal Palace where grand rooms are filled with an eclectic wealth of art treasures, antiques, and an impressive collection of clocks. The remainder of your afternoon and evening are at leisure. You might choose to explore the historic districts around the Plaza Mayor and the marvelous San Miguel market which has been transformed into a mouth-watering ensemble of Tapas bars and shops. (B)

SEPTEMBER 22 – LA RIOJA REGION / SAN SEBASTIAN: Travel north to San Sebastián through the world-renowned La Rioja region, stopping in Haro to visit the Dinastia Wine Museum, a must for any wine enthusiast. The elegant resort town of San Sebastián is a center for gastronomy; join your guide this evening for a stroll through the Old Town where each bar specializes in different Pintxos dishes. Sample a delicious selection from ‘bacalao’ (cod) and wild mushrooms to every kind of ham and sausage imaginable. Overnight in San Sebastián. (B/D)

SEPTEMBER 23 – EXCURSION TO BAYONNE, FRANCE: After breakfast, cross the border into France to Bayonne the capital of the French Basque region. Take a short walking tour of the town with a local guide, visit the Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayonne, a World Heritage site, and its cloister we’ll take a tour of Bayonne’s superb Museum of Basque Culture where you will learn about Basque culture and history. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Bayonne before returning to San Sebastián and your hotel for overnight. (B)

SEPTEMBER 24 – EXCURSION TO BILBAO & GUERNICA: This morning, drive to Bilbao for a guided visit to the Guggenheim Museum, an amazing feat of construction created by North American architect Frank O. Gehry. Afterwards, enjoy some free time for lunch on your own. Then depart from Bilbao and make your way to Guernica located in the very heart of the Basque nation. Tour the Assembly House and its symbolic Oak Tree, where Basque leaders have met since medieval times. Afterwards, return to San Sebastián for overnight. (B)

SEPTEMBER 25 – PAMPLONA / ZARAGOZA: After breakfast, depart from San Sebastián and make your way to Pamplona where author Ernest Hemingway is celebrated as a native son. Once in Pamplona, enjoy a walking tour along 16th-century streets, famous for the annual San Fermin Festival or the Running of the Bulls in early July, see the famous Plaza de Torros or Bullring, Castle Square, and the Gothic Santa Maria Cathedral. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and then continue to Zaragoza where the remainder of your afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight in Zaragoza. (B/L)

SEPTEMBER 26 – MONTSERRAT / BARCELONA: After breakfast, depart and start your journey towards Barcelona. Pause to visit Montserrat.  The Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat was founded in the 11th century, is in a Natural Park 60 km to the west of Barcelona. You will arrive at the top of the mountain by a mountain train. Enjoy lunch here before continuing to Barcelona. (B/L)

SEPTEMBER 27 – BARCELONA: Enjoy breakfast in your hotel. Afterwards, depart on a half-day tour in Barcelona. Visit a unique creation that has become Barcelona’s most universal symbol: Sagrada Familia. The brilliant Gaudí agreed to direct this work, succeeding Francisco de Paula. The artist worked on it until his death. Started in 1883, works to complete this grand church continues still today. Afterwards, visit Park Guell, another of Gaudí’s creations which has been declared an artistic monument and world heritage site by UNESCO. Return to your hotel and enjoy your afternoon at leisure. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner in Barcelona. (B/D)

SEPTEMBER 28 – BARCELONA / USA: This morning, transfer to Barcelona airport where you board your home-bound flight. (B)

IMPORTANT: This tour includes walking tours. To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surface.

→ Inclusions

 Inclusions

• Roundtrip air from Chicago on American Airlines
• Madrid – 2 nights, 4-Star Hotel NH Madrid Nacional
• San Sebastián – 3 nights, 4-Star Hotel Catalonia Donosti
• Zaragoza – 1 night, 4-Star Hotel Catalonia El Pilar
• Barcelona – 2 nights, 4-Star Hotel Sercotel Caspe
• Breakfast daily, except day of arrival
• 2 lunches and 3 dinners
• Prado Museum, Madrid
• Royal Palace, Madrid
• Dinastia Wine Museum,
• Walking tour in Bayonne, France
• Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayonne
• Museum of Basque Culture, Bayonne
• Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
• Walking tour in Guernica
• Walking tour in Pamplona
• Monastery of Montserrat
• Half-day Barcelona tour
• Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
• Park Guell, Barcelona
• Hotel porterage of one piece of luggage
• 24-hour emergency contact while in Spain

IMPORTANT: This tour includes walking tours. To enjoy this tour, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surface.

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