Visit Spain’s star attractions on a classic tour through its heart. Starting in Madrid, let your imagination unfold on a journey through this beautiful country oozing with charm, and visit the people and cities that reflect Spain’s fascinating history and culture. Tour through Cordoba, Valencia, Barcelona and San Sebastian as you experience a fiery flamenco performance, follow your tastebuds to a tapas bar, admire unique architectural triumphs, worship the sun at the beach and sip some of the best red wine in the world. This 22-day adventure through Classic Spain is as colourful and diverse as the land itself.
Madrid, Spain – Madrid, Spain
It’s a pretty special thing to chill out on a beach in Andalusian Spain, knowing North Africa is just across the water. Explore the scenic Costa de la Luz and kick back with some tapas and sangria in Tarifa.
Witness a spectacular Spanish sunset on a beach in Valencia, while feasting on a bowl of some of the world’s best paella.
The cosmopolitan city of Barcelona pulses with culture, art and an outstanding drinking and dining scene. Discover the eccentric architecture of Gaudi who made Barcelona his artistic playground – the unfinished masterpiece of La Sagrada Familia is particularly mind-blowing.
Logrono is bursting with delicious local produce and wine, just waiting to be enjoyed on an included tapas crawl. Delicioso!
Take a long siesta on the golden beaches of San Sebastian, one of Spain’s most scenic coastal destinations. As the sun goes down, join the crowds as they come out to play among the city’s exciting nightlife.
The primary means of transportation on this trip is by train and bus. Spanish trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Public buses are also comfortable and often air-conditioned, but there aren’t always toilets on board. Please note that you will have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, and also up or down a few flights of stairs as some of the stations may not have lifts. Please make sure your luggage doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find this information in the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in Spain (over 40°C), so it’s important to use sun protection, wear breathable layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Many hotels in Europe have fans, not air conditioning. In contrast, this trip also has departures during the winter months (mid-October to mid-March). This is the perfect time to see the highlights of Spain without any of the crowds, however the weather during this time of year is unpredictable, and possibly cold and rainy. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
As accommodation on this trip is twin-share, single travellers will share a room with another traveller of the same sex. If you’d prefer not to share, a single room supplement is available at an additional charge. Please ask your travel consultant for more details. Also, hotels in Europe often don’t have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together.
Please note that shops, attractions, sights and businesses may be closed for up to 5 hours in the middle of the day for siesta time. This gives the locals time to escape the heat and spend time with their families, eat a large lunch or simply sleep through the most uncomfortable time of day. This means of course that people work later into the evening and dinner time can seem quite late – 9.30 pm is not uncommon for family dinner time.
There are no meals included on this day.
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. If you can’t arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel by early evening, you may wish to arrive a few days early. We’ll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
There are no meals included on this day.
While it is worthwhile to check out the Bullfight Museum and see the architecture of the actual bullfighting ring in Ronda, we discourage our travellers to attend a bullfight due to the pain, fear and discomfort the animals experience during these public shows. Please see our stance on animal welfare for further details: intrepidtravel.com/animal-welfare
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
While bullfighting is a significant part of Spanish culture and history, its practice is contrary to our Responsible Travel philosophy. Intrepid does not support or attend bullfights, as the bulls are subject to torment and fear and are often killed inhumanely.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
Today’s train trip takes approximately 6 hours. While this can seem long it’s also a great time to sit back, relax, read a book or simply have the Spanish country side roll past your window.
Today you’ll hit Valencia’s street by bike. Riding is easy, and will take place in quiet backstreets where possible, and along the huge linear park that surrounds Valencia’s old town. Please note that this activity’s timing is weather dependent, and may happen a day earlier in the afternoon when it’s not too hot. Details will be discussed during the welcome meeting.
There are no meals included on this day.
As this is a combination trip, the travellers in your group and your group leader are likely to change today. There will be a group meeting to discuss the next stage of your itinerary so please attend, and this is also a great chance to meet the new group. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
Please note that our accommodation in Logrono is a hostal (similar to a pension), located on the top floors of a centrally located apartment building. There is no lift, so you will need to be able to carry your luggage up and down stairs. Make sure you pack accordingly.
There are no meals included on this day.
