Overview
10 Days
Barcelona
Madrid
Easy Pace
4 - 4.5 Star
Premium
5-99 Years
40
Fully Guided
E303
Itinerary
Airport transfers depart from Barcelona airport for your hotel. Join your Travel Director for dinner at local restaurant La Pau. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports teenagers and young people to transition to their adult life. Learn about local life through the eyes of the youth. (D) Stay: NH Collection Barcelona Constanza
The lively port of Barcelona boasts an impressive Old Town, although it's the daring architecture of the Catalan Art Nouveau that really sets it apart. Sightseeing with your Local Expert begins with a drive down the Passeig de Gràcia to Gaudí's Sagrada Família*. Venture inside the leviathan of the Eixample where a tree canopy carved from stone, holds up the roof as sun pours through stained glass. Then you are free to explore this amazing city at your own pace.
*Please note that with the construction of the Sagrada Família nearing completion, access to the basilica may be restricted for special masses, pilgrim visits or official ceremonies, and we are unable to secure tickets to visit. Should this occur during your tour, you will visit the Hospital de Sant Pau instead, a striking example of Catalan Art Nouveau designed by Gaudí's contemporary, Domènech i Montaner.
Afterwards, join your Local Expert in the gardens surrounding the Sagrada Família and take in the extraordinary exterior of Gaudí's iconic masterpiece. (B)
Enjoy a relaxed start and a full day at leisure to explore Spain's most vibrant city. From its geographical location, boasting coastal vistas, to the city's extravagant architectural landscape, Barcelona is a delight to explore. Consider a stroll along the famous Las Ramblas or explore Gaudí's fascinating Park Güell. Perhaps join an Optional Experience to ascend the sacred mountain of Montserrat, Catalonia's most important pilgrimage site for a thousand years, for sweeping views? (B)
Journey through the dramatic landscapes of northern Spain to Pamplona in the region of Navarre, famed for the Running of the Bulls. On arrival, enjoy free time to explore at your own pace — perhaps stroll along the storied Estafeta Street or discover a local cafe in the old quarter.
Later, continue to the aristocratic seaside resort of San Sebastián. Nestled in the heart of Basque Country, this city is celebrated for its culinary excellence. In the evening, savour its rich gastronomic traditions in Lo Viejo, the atmospheric Old Town. (B) Stay: Barceló Costa Vasca, San Sebastián
Few places have been able to reinvent themselves quite like Bilbao. The former industrial city has changed its ways and is now a pin-up for urban redevelopment. Explore Bilbao with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the spectacular Guggenheim Museum to marvel at its modern architecture and contemporary works of art. Alternatively, join your Local Expert and take the funicular to Mount Artxanda.
On return, join a Local Expert to admire San Sebastián and the crescent-shaped La Concha Bay from the heights of Monte Igueldo. After taking in the amazing views, enjoy a guided tour of the Old Quarter. See the numbered balconies of the Plaza de la Constitución, a reminder of the days when bullfights were held in the square. Explore the Old Town during your progressive dinner with the locals, as you enjoy the gastronomic Basque tradition of pintxos. Similar to tapas, enjoy a variety of snack-sized treats and be sure to try some of the local Txakoli wine. Buen provecho! (B/D)
Enjoy a day at leisure to stroll along San Sebastián's boardwalk. The harbour is filled with fishing boats and pleasure crafts, so you can enjoy several sporting activities on its large sandy beach. Perhaps explore the nearby French village of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, known as the Jewel of the Basque Country. During this Optional Experience you will explore this town with a Local Expert and visit the church where The Sun King, Louis XIV, married the Spanish princess Maria Theresa. (B)
Journey south through the Pyrenees foothills and the land of El Cid for a stop in Burgos, where you can see the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue along the Guadarrama Mountains to the plateau of New Castile and Spain's elegant capital of Madrid.
In the evening, why not see the city lit up in all its glory, with a drive along the grand avenues and past the spectacular fountains? (B) Stay: Meliá Princesa, Madrid
Enjoy sightseeing with your Local Expert as they take you along the main historical areas in the capital of Spain, known as Madrid of the Bourbons. Your drive continues through the Old Quarter, discovering the origins of the city. Learn about the growth of this city, from humble beginnings to a thriving European metropolis.
A highlight of your escorted journey will be to visit the Prado Museum. Discover countless works by Velázquez, Goya, Titian, Rubens and others as you are guided by a local art historian. Gain new perspective on classic artworks as your art historian shares historic anecdotes and provides new insights into the Prado's collection. The afternoon is free for you to relax at a cafe or shop in the boutiques. (B)
Venture northwest to visit the fascinating city of Segovia. Walk the medieval streets of this fortified city with your Local Expert and see the 14th-century Alcazar Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After returning to Madrid, you are at leisure. Make the most of your final night as you join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant. Enjoy delightful regional produce paired with the finest local wines, as you toast to a vacation done well. (B/D)
After breakfast, bid farewell to Spain as your transfers arrive at Madrid airport. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Barcelona: Explore Barcelona with a Local Expert who sets out the city's shape from street level — the long run of Passeig de Gràcia, the sharp grid of the Eixample and the way the skyline shifts as the Sagrada Família comes into view. The route ties together the city's Modernista detail and its ongoing architectural change.
- Pamplona: The city is home to Cafe Iruña, a favourite of Ernest Hemingway.
- San Sebastián: Led by your Local Expert, enjoy a guided walking tour of the Old Quarter including Plaza de la Constitucion.
- Burgos: See the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Madrid: Explore Madrid's Old Quarter with a Local Expert who outlines how the district developed from a small medieval citadel into the centre of Habsburg Madrid. You'll see the compact street grid, market squares and civic buildings that shaped the early city, and trace how each layer of expansion created the foundations of the modern capital.
- Segovia: Walk Segovia's historic centre with a Local Expert who explains how the city developed at the meeting point of Roman, medieval and royal influence. View the Alcázar, a fortified complex documented from the 12th century, and examine the structure of the Roman aqueduct, whose towering granite arches carried mountain water into the city for almost two thousand years.
- Madrid: Visit the Prado Museum with an art historian who places key works within their historical setting. With your historian's expert guidance, you'll examine paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Titian and Rubens, noting their connection to royal patronage and the broader European tradition. Learn how the museum, founded in 1819, became a principal repository for Spain's royal collections and major works from across the continent.
Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Bilbao: Visit the architectural landmark Guggenheim Museum and see works of contemporary art by Spanish and international artists.
- Bilbao: Join your Local Expert for sightseeing and take the funicular to Mount Artxanda to enjoy panoramic views of the town below.
- Barcelona: At La Pau, you'll sit down to a seasonal Catalan menu in a restaurant built around social impact. Dishes are prepared and served by young people in training, many moving on from care or disrupted schooling. Paid work, mentoring and a clear structure help them gain skills in the kitchen and dining room as they move towards independent living. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
- San Sebastián: Enjoy an evening of pintxos, dining with locals in this Basque tradition. Your delicious dinner includes a wide variety of finger food delicacies, each with their own regional flavour, flair and presentation.
- Madrid: In Madrid, you'll sit down to a final dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers at a local restaurant.
- Dining Summary: 3 Dinners (D), 9 Breakfasts (B)
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
Operator
Why are we different to any other operator? It’s our unique Insight experiences. It’s our authentic and varied dining options, it’s t moreravelling in smaller groups on customised coaches with twice the legroom, it’s staying in the right hotels in the right location, all brought together seamlessly by our exceptional travel directors. In essence: All the sights, and the insights….up close and personal…in comfort and style.
Travel is such a joy and a personal passion for myself and every member of our team. We’re so proud of the quality, service and value we provide and invite you to try it for yourself. Talk to Global Journeys to find out more about travelling in style and booking your next holiday with Insight Vacations.
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Insight Vacations Worldwide (2025-26)
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A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Inquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Insight Vacations. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
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