Fountains, Fireflies & Flamenco – 7 Days

Today you’ll start your adventure to Spain to make unforgettable memories.

Upon arrival in Barcelona, you will be met by your Tour Manager and then board a bus for the city. When you arrive downtown, your guide will take you on a panoramic sightseeing tour of Barcelona, featuring a stop at La Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family), Gaudí’s famous landmark. As you travel through the city, take in views of Gaudi’s Casa Mila, the Columbus Monument, the 14th-century Barrio Gótico and Montjuïc, where much of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games took place. After your tour you’ll head to your hotel for check in and a short break. In the evening you’ll have dinner and then return to your hotel.

You’ll go to the Picasso Museum where you’ll find one of the most extensive collections of artwork by the 20th century Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso. Afterwards, stroll the streets of Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most famous street, which connects the Catalonia Plaza with the Columbus statue near the sea. Ramblas is filled with cafes, tapas bars, shops, museums and the famous La Boqueria market.

This morning, you’ll explore the historical city of Girona, where the houses perch on the bank of the Onyar River and the bridges that span it are among the most spectacular sights in the region. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the Jewish quarter of Girona. Explore the Arabian baths, a Roman building inspired by the Roman public baths with three pools. Then you will continue to Figueras, hometown of Salvador Dali. Along with some free time to explore the area, admission to the Teatre-Museu Dali and “Dali joies” is included in your tour, as well as a visit to the Teatre-Museu Dali, which houses one of the largest collections of Dali’s work in the world.

You will depart Barcelona early this morning and take the train to Madrid. After lunch you will meet your guide for your guided city tour. See Madrid’s mix of traditional and modern architecture as you visit the Royal Palace, an 18th-century masterpiece. The enormous Baroque palace currently has more rooms (2,800) than any other European palace, but it was originally supposed to be four times as large. The palace is dripping with porcelain, jeweled clocks and amazing ceiling frescoes — the most magnificent, in the Throne Room, was done by the Venetian artist Tiepolo when he was in his seventies. Next you’ll see the Neoclassical architecture of the Prado Museum and the Puerta de Alcala triumphal arch, built to honor Carlos III’s entry into Spain. This evening you’ll enjoy a Flamenco dinner, featuring authentic Flamenco dancers.

After breakfast, you will meet your guide and take a walking tour of Madrid. You’ll stroll over to the Puerta del Sol, the bustling city center. Next, you’ll relax at the Plaza Mayor, a grand square where every sort of human drama has taken place — trails of faith, public burnings of heretics, royal marriages, the canonization of saints, and countless balls and bullfights. End at the Plaza de España for a stop at an outdoor café for lunch. In the afternoon you will visit the Museo del Prado, home of works by Spain’s great masters, including Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez, and El Greco.

Today your Spain adventure comes to an end as you journey back home.