Northern Spain, The Rioja Valley and Madrid

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Northern Spain, The Rioja Valley and Madrid



Tour Description:

Step back in time on a journey that spans centuries and borders... and creates an authentic sense of place. Northern Spain captivates with a diversity of landscapes and cultural riches...
Nature lovers revel in the majesty of the spectacular Pyrenees and Picos de Europa. History buffs marvel at San Sebastián, and art and architecture aficionados find paradise in Barcelona and Bilbao. Pilgrims seek miracles along the Camino de Santiago; visitors, Hemingway included, have been invariably moved by the traditions of Pamplona; and lovers of food – and fun – savor the taste of tapas in neighborhood bars and cafés tucked in narrow medieval lanes from little rural towns to the modern metropolis that is Madrid. Linking people and places with history and charm, Spain's unique historic paradors and elegant resort hotels offer a legacy of genuine hospitality and service along the way.

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Dates & Pricing

Friday 26 Apr 24 — Thursday 09 May 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 03 May 24 — Thursday 16 May 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 08 May 24 — Tuesday 21 May 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 10 May 24 — Thursday 23 May 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 13 May 24 — Sunday 26 May 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 17 May 24 — Thursday 30 May 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 24 May 24 — Thursday 06 Jun 24Starting at $11,690Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 27 May 24 — Sunday 09 Jun 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 12 Jun 24 — Tuesday 25 Jun 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 19 Jun 24 — Tuesday 02 Jul 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 26 Jun 24 — Tuesday 09 Jul 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 24 Jul 24 — Tuesday 06 Aug 24Starting at $7,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 21 Aug 24 — Tuesday 03 Sep 24Starting at $8,590Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 28 Aug 24 — Tuesday 10 Sep 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 30 Aug 24 — Thursday 12 Sep 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 04 Sep 24 — Tuesday 17 Sep 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 09 Sep 24 — Sunday 22 Sep 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 11 Sep 24 — Tuesday 24 Sep 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 13 Sep 24 — Thursday 26 Sep 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 16 Sep 24 — Sunday 29 Sep 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 18 Sep 24 — Tuesday 01 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 20 Sep 24 — Thursday 03 Oct 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 23 Sep 24 — Sunday 06 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 27 Sep 24 — Thursday 10 Oct 24Starting at $8,490Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 30 Sep 24 — Sunday 13 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 02 Oct 24 — Tuesday 15 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Friday 04 Oct 24 — Thursday 17 Oct 24Starting at $11,690Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Monday 14 Oct 24 — Sunday 27 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Wednesday 16 Oct 24 — Tuesday 29 Oct 24Starting at $9,790Check Mark Icon SPECIALGet a Quote
Check Mark Icon Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.


Destination & Sightseeing

Step back in time on a journey that spans centuries and borders... and creates an authentic sense of place. Northern Spain captivates with a diversity of landscapes and cultural riches... Nature lovers revel in the majesty of the spectacular Pyrenees and Picos de Europa. History buffs marvel at San Sebastián, and art and architecture aficionados find paradise in Barcelona and Bilbao. Pilgrims seek miracles along the Camino de Santiago; visitors, Hemingway included, have been invariably moved by the traditions of Pamplona; and lovers of food – and fun – savor the taste of tapas in neighborhood bars and cafés tucked in narrow medieval lanes from little rural towns to the modern metropolis that is Madrid. Linking people and places with history and charm, Spain's unique historic paradors and elegant resort hotels offer a legacy of genuine hospitality and service along the way.

Highlights
TAUCK'S YELLOW ROADS – Cultural charms and spectacular scenery entice during stays in a Frank Gehry masterpiece, an authentically restored castle, a former palace and a historic parador
Explorations, winery tours and tastings in the famed Rioja Valley wine region
A self-guided visit of the beautiful Benedictine enclave atop saw-toothed Montserrat

ITINERARY

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check Mark Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.

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