DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1 :
In Transit from North America
Air Program travelers will depart their gateway city for Madrid, Spain. The AHI Travel Group Air Program offers advanced seat assignments on most airlines; an air price guarantee that includes all fuel surcharges and airport and airline taxes; arrival and departure transfers, including baggage handling; and many other benefits.
Meals—Appropriate in-flight meal service
Day 2 :
Madrid, Spain
Arrive in Madrid-Barajas Airport. After passing through immigration and customs, Group Air Program passengers will be met by an AHI Travel representative in the arrivals hall. Independent Air Program passengers who are able to join the group transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased an AHI transfer should proceed to the group flight arrivals hall to meet the AHI representative.
Transfer to the Hotel Wellington, located in the stately Salamanca neighborhood next to tranquil Retiro Park. Surrounded by grand Spanish architecture, fashion and antique shops and the Art Triangle—Madrid’s museum district, which includes the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofía—the Hotel Wellington offers both elegance and easy access to Madrid’s sights. After checking in, your luggage will be delivered directly to your room. Your AHI Travel Director will be with you throughout your journey to handle all program logistics and will be available daily to assist with sightseeing arrangements, dinner reservations, shopping suggestions and any other assistance you may require.
This evening, join your fellow travelers for a festive Welcome Reception at the hotel.
Accommodations—Hotel Wellington
Meals—Appropriate in-flight meal service
Day 3 :
Madrid
Wake to your first day in Madrid, the Spanish capital since 1561. Enjoy a delicious breakfast and begin your exploration of this fascinating city with its red-tile roofs, Mudejar churches, sunny plazas and buzzing cafés.
Excursion: Madrid, Spain’s Capital City
Embrace the energetic spirit and grandeur of Madrid as you witness the sumptuous and sprawling Royal Palace; the 16th-century Plaza Mayor; the splendid architecture of the Gran Vía; and other world-class landmarks.
Local Flavor
Enjoy lunch like a madrileño as you dine with fellow travelers in this country known for its irresistible cuisine.
Excursion: Museo del Prado
This afternoon, a seasoned guide leads you through the Prado Museum, one of the world’s most important fine-art museums. The Prado, a neoclassical landmark, holds more than 8,000 paintings, including masterpieces by Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez and El Greco, architect of the Spanish Renaissance. With the help of our expert, you’ll easily navigate the vast collection, learn about Spanish artists and gain insights that will help illuminate the fascinating art we’ll see throughout our journey.
Independent Exploration
This remainder of the day is at leisure.
Accommodations–Hotel Wellington
Meals–Breakfast and lunch
Day 4 :
Madrid/Toledo
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before making the short journey through Castile-La Mancha—a land of olive groves, windmills and Don Quixote—to Toledo, the spiritual capital of Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Excursion: Toledo, An Open-Air Museum
A knowledgeable guide accompanies you through the tangle of streets in this atmospheric medieval quarter and takes you inside the city’s greatest landmarks. Linger inside the cathedral, one of the world’s largest Gothic structures and wander through the Jewish Quarter, home to the Iglesia de Santo Tomé. Learn about El Greco and his adopted home, and view his famous painting El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz, with its elongated figures and hint of mysticism. Then visit the 12th-century Santa Maria La Blanca Synagogue with its Moorish arches.
Local Flavor
Enjoy a classic Castilian lunch as you take in the stunning view of Toledo from the Parador de Toledo, located atop Emperor’s Hill.
Return to Madrid and enjoy the evening at your leisure.
Accommodations–Hotel Wellington
Meals–Breakfast and lunch
Day 5 :
Madrid/Burgos/Laguardia
Today, depart Madrid for Laguardia via Burgos, a historic Castilian city.
Excursion: Burgos
This morning, discover Burgos, the delightful old capital of Castile, en route to Laguardia. Learn about the city’s role in the Christian Reconquest, medieval trade and the Spanish Civil war as you wander its Old Quarter and visit the Burgos Cathedral, founded in 1221. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, the cathedral’s knobby, latticed spires and pinnacles soar towards the heavens. Inside, witness an array of treasures including a gold encrusted altar; the Christo de Burgos, a revered 13th-century crucifix; and the tomb of national hero, El Cid.
Local Flavor
Lunch is served in this once powerful capital located on the lush banks of the River Arlanzón.
Afterwards, soak up romantic scenes of vine-carpeted valleys as you journey from Burgos to the lovely hilltop town of Laguardia overlooking La Rioja wine country. Upon arrival in Laguardia, check in at the Hotel Villa de Laguardia.
Local Flavor
This evening, feast on a classic Rioja dinner complemented with local wines in the hotel, a remarkable property with a prestigious wine cellar and spa, surrounded by well-groomed gardens and vineyards.
Accommodations—Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Meals—Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6 :
Laguardia
Excursion: Laguardia and Rioja Wine Country
Enjoy a guided tour and tasting at the world-famous Marques de Riscal Winery. One of the oldest in wineries in Rioja, the Marques de Riscal is graced with a new Frank Gehry-designed landmark hotel overflowing with pink and gold titanium waves. Afterward, explore Laguardia, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Spain. Located on a lofty perch above the Ebro River, Laguardia is surrounded by 13th-century walls. Lose yourself in a maze of medieval lanes topped by balconies overflowing with red peppers. Witness grand old mansions and the 12th-century Gothic church with its well-preserved portico and sculptures of the disciples. Journey 50 feet underground to see Laguardia’s fascinating wine caves, or bodegas, where wine has been stored, aged and savored for centuries.
Local Flavor
Lunch is served at a restaurant in Laguardia.
Independent Exploration
This afternoon is at your leisure.
Accommodations—Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Meals—Breakfast and lunch
Day 7 :
Laguardia/Bilbao
Excursion: Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum
Nestled between coastal hills, this shipbuilding city is in the midst of a Renaissance that was sparked by the opening of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in 1997. A guide introduces you to what is arguably the most celebrated architectural marvel of our time and presents the most important masterpieces in this curvaceous titanium museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
Local Flavor
After feasting on modern art and architecture and seeing Bilbao’s historic quarter, enjoy lunch in Bilbao, a city known for its exceptional Basque cuisine.
Independent Exploration
The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore Laguardia.
Local Flavor
Tonight, enjoy dinner with wine at the hotel.
Accommodations—Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Meals–Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8 :
Laguardia/Pamplona
Excursion: Pamplona
Wander along the 16th-century streets of Pamplona, famous for the annual Running of the Bulls in July. Visit the Plaza del Toros, one of the largest bullrings in Spain, and the chapel where matadors pray and view the pens where bulls are corralled prior to the fight. See the splendid Gothic cathedral and the chapel of San Fermin and soak up scenes of daily life in this charming city.
Local Flavor
Relax with fellow travelers as you enjoy a special lunch in Hemingway’s Pamplona.
Local Flavor
Tonight, enjoy dinner at your hotel.
Accommodations—Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Meals–Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 9 :
Zaragoza/Barcelona
This morning, visit 2,000-year-old Zaragoza en route to Barcelona.
Excursion: Zaragoza
Straddling the Río Ebro, Zaragoza is a university town and was the provincial capital of the ancient kingdom of Aragón. Explore the city’s historical core with a guide and see its elegant granite plaza and El Pilar, a soaring pilgrimage site. This famous baroque church features ceiling paintings by Francisco de Goya and a sacred column on which the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared before St. James the Apostle.
Local Flavor
Lunch is in Zaragoza, this inviting city straddling Spain’s might Ebro River.
This afternoon, continue to the Majestic Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of colorful, lively Barcelona.
Accommodations—Majestic Hotel & Spa
Meals—Breakfast and lunch
Day 10 :
Barcelona
Excursion: Barcelona Panoramic Tour
International yet intensely Catalán, bustling Barcelona will captivate you with its whimsical architecture, elegant boulevards and flamboyant style. This morning, a panoramic tour introduces you to some of this port city’s most important sites, from the grand Paseo de Gracia, lined with Moderniste landmarks and fanciful lampposts, to leafy Montjuic with its Olympic Stadium. Afterwards, feel the timeworn cobblestones underfoot as you stroll through the cozy alleyways of Barcelona’s atmospheric Barri Gòtic, one of the most complete Gothic Quarters in Europe.
Accommodations—Majestic Hotel & Spa
Meals—Breakfast
Day 11 :
Barcelona
Excursion: The Work of Antoni Gaudí
Today, wrap your imagination around the surreal architecture of Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), the Spanish architect who was a leading exponent of the Art Nouveau movement in Europe –– a style characterized by intense ornamentation and organic lines. See Gaudi’s most famous work: La Sagrada Familia, the magical and surprising church still under construction today! Also visit Gaudi’s playful Parc Guell where you’ll be enchanted by the mosaic serpentine benches, shady trees and Mediterranean views.
Local Flavor
Tonight, enjoy a celebratory Farewell Dinner at one of Barcelona’s fine restaurants.
Accommodations—Majestic Hotel & Spa
Meals—Breakfast and dinner
Day 12 :
In Transit to North America
Following breakfast, depart for Barcelona Airport for your return flights home.
Meals—Breakfast and appropriate in-flight meal service
Note: Itinerary sequence and/or scheduled events may change. Many excursions in this program involve an element of walking.
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