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Authentic Europe · Guided

The best of Spain

14-day guided small-group tour of Spain, Madrid to Bilbao

Illustration of The best of Spain

Authentic Europe runs this 14-day guided small-group tour of Spain, starting in Madrid and ending in Bilbao. A tour escort travels with the group throughout, for a maximum of 16 travellers. The route spends two nights in each main stop: south to Granada, where day four includes a guided tour of the Alhambra, then on to Seville for a Flamenco performance on day six. Heading north, day seven arrives in Barcelona with a paella cooking class, and day nine reaches Logroño in the Rioja wine region for a wine tasting and a pintxos taverna crawl. Day twelve includes a guided hike on part of the Camino de Santiago trail before the tour continues to Bilbao. The pace is steady rather than rushed, with only the final night in Bilbao as a single-night stop. This suits travelers who want Spain's food, wine, and historic sites built into a guided itinerary rather than planning each city stop themselves.

What to know before you look closer

  • No current departure dates are listed in the evidence; confirm the calendar and price with Authentic Europe before booking.
  • The evidence names only one hotel, Hotel Europa, with no city given, across seven different overnight stops; confirm the exact properties with Authentic Europe.
  • The included list mentions a visit to Pamplona and the royal palace of Olite that do not appear in the day-by-day itinerary; confirm which day these happen on with Authentic Europe.
  • The itinerary lists day 11 as a day at leisure in San Sebastián before day 12's 'Travel to San Sebastián', an apparent sequencing inconsistency in the evidence; confirm the exact day-by-day order with Authentic Europe.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Madrid

    Welcome to Madrid, the capital of Spain

  2. Day 2overnight: Madrid

    Day at leisure in Madrid

  3. Day 3overnight: Granada

    Travel south to Granada and visit Albaicín

  4. Day 4overnight: Granada

    Visit Alhambra and explore Granada

  5. Day 5overnight: Seville

    Travel to Seville with a stop in Córdoba

  6. Day 6overnight: Seville

    Explore Seville & enjoy a Flamenco performance

  7. Day 7overnight: Barcelona

    Travel to Barcelona & enjoy a paella cooking class

  8. Day 8overnight: Barcelona

    Day at leisure to explore Barcelona

  9. Day 9overnight: Logroño

    Travel to Longroño in the Rioja region

  10. Day 10overnight: Logroño

    Day at leisure in Logroño

  11. Day 11overnight: San Sebastián

    Day at leisure in San Sebastián

  12. Day 12overnight: San Sebastián

    Travel to San Sebastián & walk along the Camino de Santiago

  13. Day 13overnight: Bilbao

    Travel to Bilbao in the heart of the Basque Country

  14. Day 14

    Final day, departure from Bilbao

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 4A guided tour of the Alhambra in Granada.
  • Day 6A Flamenco performance in Seville.
  • Day 7A paella cooking class on arrival in Barcelona.
  • Day 9A Rioja wine tasting and pintxos taverna crawl in Logroño.
  • Day 12A guided hike on a portion of the Camino de Santiago trail.

Included

  • 13 nights accommodation in a standard room with private shower or bath/WC, including breakfast
  • 13 breakfasts, 2 dinners
  • Tour escort throughout the tour
  • Orientation walks in Madrid, Granada, Barcelona, San Sebastián and Bilbao
  • Paella cooking class and dinner in Barcelona
  • Rioja wine tasting in Logroño
  • Pintxos (tapas) taverna crawl in Logroño
  • Visit Albaicin Quarter in Granada
  • Guided tour of Alhambra
  • Mezquita Mosque and Jewish quarter visit in Cordoba
  • Flamenco show performance in Seville
  • Guided hike on a portion of the Camino de Santiago trail
  • Entrance fee and visit to the royal palace of Olite
  • Visit Pamplona
  • Transportation between destinations and included activities
  • Electronic travel documentation, including a detailed travel itinerary and travel vouchers
  • 24/7 Emergency phone service while travelling

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Questions travellers ask

Is this tour guided or independent?
It is guided. A tour escort travels with the group throughout, with a maximum group size of 16.
Is train travel included?
The trip's transport mixes minibus, train, and bus; the evidence does not specify which travel days use which mode.
What food and wine experiences are included?
A paella cooking class and dinner in Barcelona, a Rioja wine tasting in Logroño, a pintxos (tapas) taverna crawl in Logroño, and 13 breakfasts plus 2 dinners overall.
What historic sites does the tour visit?
A guided tour of the Alhambra in Granada, the Albaicín Quarter in Granada, the Mezquita Mosque and Jewish quarter in Córdoba, and a guided hike on part of the Camino de Santiago trail.
Where does the tour start and end?
It starts in Madrid and ends in Bilbao, traveling south to Granada and Seville before heading north through Barcelona, Logroño, and San Sebastián.

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