Escorted Tours of Spain

Best of Spain- 10 Days
Escorted Tour

• Day 1 - Depart the U.S. for Spain.
• Day 2 - Madrid, Spain: Upon arrival in Madrid, proceed to baggage claim and after clearing customs, you will be met by your Club ABC Tours host. Transfer to downtown Madrid, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain. Located at the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid combines a rich history with a modern, lively metropolis and one of the European great culture centers. Dinner is on your own. You might try some of the local dishes like sopa de ajo (garlic soup) or Cocido Madrileño with chickpeas along with a young wine from the region, Vinos de Madrid.
• Day 3 - Madrid: Spend the day at leisure exploring the many cultural delights this city offers, or explore nearby surrounding heritage sites. Of course, you can spend days just seeing Madrid's extraordinary museums, among them the world-renowned Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofía. The Prado Museum features masterpieces of Goya, El Greco, and Velasquez as well as superb works from other European schools. The Reina Sofia Museum houses permanent collections from artists such as Picasso and Dalí while the Thyssen Museum fills its walls with one of the most interesting private art collections in all of Europe, from early Dutch Masters to contemporary. Optional tours include a visit to the Moorish-influenced city of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the old Castilian town of Segovia and the provincial capital of Avila with its encircling medieval walls; or guided museum tours to the outstanding Prado. (Breakfast)
• Day 4 - Madrid: Madrid is the tapas capital of Spain. To eat like a true native, dinner usually starts around 10 PM. The big meal of the day is lunch, generally eaten between 2-4 PM. Tasty tapas, or light snacks, are perfect "in-between" meal treats and can be found at wine bars, pubs, and restaurants. Beer, wine, or sherry are all perfect accompaniments to tapas. Today visit a local restaurant for a tapas tasting. These popular appetizers range include seafood, Iberian ham and sausages, assorted pickles, smoked meats and fish, cheeses and olives, and each bar is renowned for their specialty. This afternoon and evening are at your leisure. (Breakfast, Tapas Tasting)
• Day 5 - Madrid/Bilbao: After breakfast, take a short flight north to the city of Bilbao, the capital of the Basque Country. Spend the day at Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, the cultural symbol of the Basque Country. This spectacular building, built by Frank O. Gehry in 1997, is completely covered with titanium sheets and houses one of the world's largest and most impressive private collections of modern and contemporary art. The collections include works by Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, and Robert Rauschenberg. Jeff Koons's Puppy and Richard Serra's Snake sculpture are on permanent display outside the museum. Enjoy a guided tour and free time to explore the collection on your own. Dinner is included at a local restaurant. The Basque Country is a culinary paradise, and here you can find award-winning restaurants offering dishes ranging from traditional cuisine to the most avant-garde culinary creations. Popular Basque dishes include cod and hake, as well as the famous pintxos or tapas. Make sure to try some of the region's excellent Rioja wine. (Breakfast, Dinner)
• Day 6 - La Rioja/Bilbao: Spend today visiting vineyards and tasting wines produced in northern Spain's internationally acclaimed region, La Rioja. Here, millions of gallons of wine are produced, of which 85% is red wine, and the rest is white and rosé. With its outstanding quality and value, La Rioja has become a household name. Its denomination of origin includes white and rosé wines but it is the excellent red wines are the best known. These are aged in barrels called barricas to produce crianzas (matured for at least two years) and reservas (matured for at least three years), and whether they are from Rioja Alta, Alavesa, or Rioja Baja, they are top quality. Visit the Museu de la Cultura del Vino to learn how wine is produced and its cultural significance. Return to Bilbao in the evening. (Breakfast, Lunch)
• Day 7 - Bilbao/Barcelona: Spend the morning at leisure. Later transfer to the airport for your flight to Barcelona, Spain's second largest city and an important Mediterranean port. This coastal capital of Catalonia is on the forefront of Europe's modern architecture and design. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure in Barcelona. (Breakfast)
• Day 8 - Barcelona: After breakfast, take a half-day sightseeing city tour of Barcelona. Afternoon is free to explore and dine on your own. You might try some Catalonian specialties like butifarra amb mongetes (sausage with white beans), escudella i carn d'olla (Catalan stew) and crema catalana (Catalan crème brûlée) for dessert. (Breakfast)
• Day 9 - Barcelona: Enjoy a free day in Barcelona. The unusual architecture of Antonio Gaudí, which blends neo-Gothic, Moorish, and Art Nouveau styles stands as a symbol of this popular city. The church spires and façade of the unfinished Sagrada Family represent some of Gaudí's finest work. Explore the Gothic Quarter, the old city with traces of its Roman past. Called the city of museums, Barcelona is one of Europe's most sophisticated cities with the Museu Picasso, the Fundació Joan Miró, and many others. Barcelona is a great strolling city to explore. Make sure to visit the Ramblas, a lively, mile-long pedestrian street filled with unique markets and shops. Barcelona is also known for its vibrant nightlife, restaurants, and bars. Club ABC Tours has optional tours available for purchase. (Breakfast)
• Day 10 - Barcelona/U.S.: After breakfast transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

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