Spain: Culinary

Airport Transfer

On-ground Briefing & Orientation Walking Tour – The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc. Additionally, an in-depth safety briefing will be provided for what to do in case of an emergency.

Bilbao Evening Walking Tour in Hotel Area

Archaeological Museum

Welcome Dinner – The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a wide variety of menu options to cater all diets.

Fine Arts Museum – The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is an art museum and is the second largest and most visited museum in the Basque Country.

Santiago Cathedral - Roman Catholic church in the city of Bilbao. The temple was originally built during the 14th-15th centuries as Bilbao's main parish church, and was only declared cathedral in 1950 when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bilbao was officially created.

Tour of Bilbao Old Town (7 Streets of Bilbao) - This is the tour of the earliest heart of the city, constituted as a ville in the 14th century, where we talk about its origins and its evolution through the centuries.

Boat Cruise (2 hrs) - Enjoy a route to the Bizkaia Bridge and the Port of Bilbao.

Guggenheim Museum - The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art.

Private Transfer to Cave of Altamira (approx. 1.5 hrs)

Cave of Altamira - The Cave of Altamira is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands.

Private Transportation to Azurmendi

Gorka Izagirre Winery Tour and Tasting (Hamaiketako Experience) - In Basque, ‘the eleven o’clock’ is the name given to the snack that is taken before eating. At the Gorka Izagirre winery, we want to recover the traditional hamaiketako. The classic gilda, ham, and an exquisite Idiazabal cheese will accompany our range of txakolis, from the youngest wine to the most special elaborations. Includes the tasting of four wines (Gorka Izagirre, G22, 42 Zura and Ilun). Get to know first-hand the history and evolution of Txakoli de Bizkaia.

Lunch

Private Transportation to San Sebastian with en route stop at Marqués de Riscal Winery

Marqués de Riscal Facilities and Vineyard Tour - This visit will end with a tasting of wines such as Marqués de Riscal Rueda Verdejo, Arienzo de Marqués de Riscal crianza, and Marqués de Riscal Reserva, along with tapas of salchichón and chorizo from Rioja.

Continue to San Sebastian

Walking Tour of Old city center – Explore one of the two major markets in San Sebastian as well as the Beach area, Promenade, Port and Old Town, and more.

San Telmo Museum - It includes old and contemporary Basque culture, arts, and history in a European, global context.

Cider House Tour, Cider Tasting and Lunch - Tour the facilities of the Basque cider house. We'll see the apple orchards, the cellars, the production process, and the history that links cider with the Basque Country.

Day trip to Getaria with Private Transportation

Getaria Txomin Etxaniz Winery Tour - Guided tour and the tasting of different txakoli wines accompanied with anchovies and white tuna from Getaria.

Balenciaga Museum - Displays of haute couture outfits by the famed designer, plus tours & courses in fashion techniques.

Lunch

San Salvador Church

Afternoon Beach Time

Day trip to France - Bayonne and Biarritz

Free Day in San Sebastian

Train transfer to Madrid (Approx 5 hours)

Check In, Relax & Refresh

Orientation Walking Tour - The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc. Additionally, an in-depth safety briefing will be provided for what to do in case of an emergency.

Madrid Historical Walking Tour- Discover the Austrian Madrid, the oldest part of town, with many of the most emblematic monuments of Madrid: Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Botin (oldest restaurant in the world), San Miguel Market, Cathedral of Almudena, and the Opera house.

Visit to Royal Palace and Royal Kitchen- Wooden butchers blocks, copper pots, giant stone basins, a huge assortment of molds, serving dishes, colanders, trays, mortars and pestles, kettles, glass bottles and other utensils, are just a few of the objects on display in these historic kitchens, which have been used for three centuries.

Lunch Break

Cooking Class: Tortilla & Sangria - Learn to cook and prepare traditional Spanish dishes at a 3-hour cooking class in Madrid. Prepare a traditional paella, tortilla (omelet), and sangria. Learn more about the Spanish gastronomy and use of local ingredients

Tapas Cooking Class - Learn how Madrid absorbed food traditions from around Spain and how to make 10 different tapas from around the country.

Lunch Break

Traditional Snack - Hot Chocolate with Churros in 19th century Café San Ginés.

Transfer to Valencia (approx. 4 hours)

Check-In at Accommodation

Valencia Historical & Cultural Walking Tour - Valencia has many attractions, all in one place: The city has a vibrant old center, with a knot of little streets and splendid medieval buildings.

Visit to Central Market and La Lonja

Visit to Cofradia De Pescadores De Valencia - Fisherman’s Association and Seafood Market

Day Trip to Albufera (birthplace of paella)

Albufera National Park & Paella Cooking Class - Enjoy the pleasure of the authentic Valencian paella as experienced by Valencians, in a typical country house surrounded by orange trees and rice fields. The Chef will reveal in the class many myths, traditions, secrets, special techniques, and some necessary tips for the preparation of this popular Spanish dish with an international recognition.

Valencian Tapas Appetizer

Return to Valencia

Transfer to Barcelona (approx. 3.5 hours)

Check-in, Relax & Refresh

La Boquería Market - La Boqueria is a famous market located in El Raval with an entrance to the market from La Rambla. It provides a wide variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, sweets as well as meat, fish, cheese and dairy.

Walking Tour of Barri Gòtic - The beautiful neighborhood known as the Gothic Quarter is so called because it used to be the Roman village and thus has some remnants of its glorious past.

Lunch Break

Barcelona Organic Cooking Class - This is an authentic experience where you will learn to prepare a combination of 2 tapas dishes for starters, 1 main dish, and 1 dessert. Using healthy, traditional family recipes and local, seasonal and organic ingredients, you’ll discover the real Barcelona cuisine, as well as a range of cooking tips.

Visit to Park Güell - Park Guell is one of the masterpieces of the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who projected it in 1900. Inaugurated as a public park in 1926, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, recognizing its patrimonial and cultural value as a symbol of modern architecture, being one of the biggest exponents of Gaudi's modernism.

Free Time & Cultural Immersion

Farewell Dinner & Program Closing

Airport Transfer

Depart Barcelona, Spain for Home