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10-Nights Northern Spain

Spain
10-Nights Northern Spain
Spain
Trafalgar
Vacation Offer ID 1519209
Reference this number when contacting our travel specialist.
Overview

Trafalgar

Northern Spain
Go beyond the normal northern Spain trip and immerse yourself in the region’s distinctive culture and history. On this trip up north, you’ll trace the footsteps of pilgrims, admire the architectural talents of Frank Gehry and relax on the sunny shores of Santander.


Dining Summary
  • 1 Welcome Reception (WR)
  • 10 Breakfast (B)
  • 2 Dinner (D)
  • 1 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
  • Oviedo: Say salut to traditional Asturian cider and enjoy a local Be My Guest lunch and cider tasting with the Castanon family at their Cider Mill near Oviedo.
Dive Into Culture
  • Madrid: Visit the Prado Museum in Madrid, where you'll have time to admire its extraordinary collection of European art dating from the 12th to early 20th centuries.
Iconic Experience
  • Barcelona: With your Local Specialist, see Las Ramblas and the elegant Passeig de Grcia to take in some of the city's finest Modernist architecture. Journey past the beautiful façades of the Eixample district to see Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família.
  • Pamplona: Spend time exploring this city, known for its annual Running with the Bulls festival.
  • San Sebastián: Stroll through San Sebastián's golden-hued Old Town and see the iconic Bahía de la Concha beach.
  • Bilbao: See the architectural landmark Guggenheim Museum.
  • Picos de Europa: Admire the stunning lush scenery and distant rocky peaks of the Picos de Europa.
  • Picos de Europa: Visit the holy cave of Covadonga and see the tomb of Pelayo, the first King of Asturias, who is celebrated for winning the Battle of Covadonga.
  • Luarca: Stop along the Way of Saint James at Luarca to appreciate the natural setting and historic charm of this quaint fishing village.
  • Santiago de Compostela: Join a Local Specialist on a visit to Praza do Obradoiro and admire the cathedral façade festooned with architectural frills.
  • Zamora: See the cathedral of Zamora and the 12th-century Church of Mary Magdalene during an orientation with your Travel Director.
  • Salamanca: See the handsome arcaded Plaza Mayor, the honey-colored cathedral and the 16th-century university buildings as you explore the city with a Local Specialist.
  • Madrid: See the highlights of the city with your Local Specialist. Visit the Old Town, traveling along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana, past the Cibeles fountain, Cervantes Monument and Royal Palace.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
  • Barcelona: In Barcelona, the talented team at Mescladis, an initiative promoting work opportunities to people victim from social exclusion, introduces us to local and seasonal flavors during our Welcome Dinner. This experience advances UN Global Goal 4 Quality Education and 10 Reduced Inequalities.
Must-see Highlights
  • : Explore Barcelona, Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca and Madrid with a Local Specialist
  • : Discover Pamplona, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander and Oviedo
  • : Visit the Holy Cave of Covadonga, the fishing village of Luarca, St. James Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela and the Prado Museum in Madrid
  • : View La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Cathedral and University of Salamanca
Whats Included
  • : An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • : Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • : All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • : All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • : Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • : Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
  • : Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • : Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • : Optional Experiences and free time
  • : On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

Whats Included
  • An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
  • Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • Optional Experiences and free time
  • On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

Featured Destinations

Madrid

Madrid

The capital of Spain since 1562, Madrid is located on the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cool winters. Madrid is a city of great monuments. Among its highlights are the medieval center dating back to the Habsburg Empire and the Prado Museum. Madrid is not just a cultural destination. It is also a lively metropolis with many pubs, cafes, discotheques and nightclubs open late into the night.
Destination Guide
Salamanca

Salamanca

The ancient city of Salamanca, famous for its university founded by Alfonso IX in the early 1200s, is well preserved, with turreted palaces, faded convents, Romanesque churches, and colleges that have attracted scholars from all over Europe. Nearly all the attractions are within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor. In its day, Salamanca was ranked with Oxford, Paris, and Bologna as one of "the four leading lights of the medieval world." The intellectual life continues to this day, and a large invasion of American students brings added life to the town in summer. Still a youthful, spirited place because of the venerable Salamanca University, the city has been named a "World Heritage City" by UNESCO, one of six such cities in Spain.
Destination Guide
Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela is now considered by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site and attracts visitors from all over the world thanks to its fantastic monuments. The town is named after the Apostle Saint James ("Santiago"), who is buried here. In 2000 Santiago de Compostela was given the title of European Cultural Capital. Santiago is certainly one of Spain's most monumental towns, with a particular architectonical style all of its own. But it is as well a town plenty of life, with one of the most famous Universities and a large number of students who guarantee youthful ambience inbetween the historical walls. The region's cuisine is of great reputation, and it is said that nowhere has better seafood than Santiago.
Destination Guide
Oviedo

Oviedo

Oviedo is the historic capital of the Principality of Asturias and is the administrative and commercial center of the region. Visit Oviedo’s 9th century churches, built when the city was the capital of Christian Spain, the stately square, Plaza Alfonso II, the Cathedral and the nearby streets with the typical ‘cider bars.’
Destination Guide
Santander

Santander

Santander is located at a beautiful bay. It is an economically extremely active city with an important port. There is an ample cultural offer, specially remarkable are the Menendez y Pelayo International Summer University, and the International Festival. Santander's great sports facilities make it an ideal place for leisure.
Destination Guide
Pamplona

Pamplona

Also known by its Basque name of Iruna, Pamplona, Spain, is a proud, prosperous, devout and usually conservative town with city walls and cobbled streets. The city, 195 mi/315 km northeast of Madrid, is the capital of the green province-region of Navarra, which borders France.

The central square is the Plaza del Castillo, dominated by the Neo-classical Palacio del Gobierno de Navarra and also home to one of Spain's finest cafes, the Cafe Iruna. The streets of the old town fill the space between this square and the cathedral, largely Gothic in style but with a facade added in the 18th century. The other main sight not to miss is the Museo de Navarra in a converted hospital, which has some large Roman mosaics among its other historical and archaeological exhibits.

The town's sedate personality gets turned upside down during the fiesta of San Fermin that runs 6-14 July each year. Immortalized in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, the fiesta's most famous event is the running of the bulls. Each day at 8 am, the brave, foolish or drunk take to the narrow, barricaded streets to run alongside (or away from) six fighting bulls.

Less dangerous (but still exhausting) are the other activities that run the full week of the festival, including parades of giant figures, marauding bands, fireworks, endless dancing and lots of drinking.

If you can handle only a day or two of such merriment, try to make it to the first day or two of the fiesta (the weekend is the busiest time). The celebration that explodes at noon on 6 July is an incredible sight (plan to be soaked by champagne).

If you hope to stay in the city, accommodations should be booked at least a year in advance—be sure to get a room facing away from the street because the noise is relentless. Temporary campsites are set up on the outskirts of the city, and shuttle buses provide transport into town. Note also that petty crime is rife at this time.

Pamplona makes a good base from which to explore the rest of Navarra. Highlights of the province are the restored fairy-tale castle at Olite, the carved portal of the church at Sanguesa, the medieval town of Estella (Lizarra), the pilgrim bridge at Puente La Reina, the two monasteries of La Oliva and Leyre, Javier Castle (birthplace of St. Francis Xavier) and, near the French border, the tiny town of Roncesvalles, a traditional starting point for pilgrims heading across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia via the Saint James' Way.

Destination Guide
Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona, the self-confident and progressive capital of Spain, is a tremendous place to be. Though it boasts outstanding Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings, and some great museums – most notably those dedicated to Picasso and Catalan art – it is above all a place where there's enjoyment simply in walking the streets, stopping in at bars and cafés, drinking in the atmosphere. A thriving port and the most prosperous commercial centre in Spain, it has a sophistication and cultural dynamism way ahead of the rest of the country. In part this reflects the city's proximity to France, whose influence is apparent in the elegant boulevards and imaginative cooking. But Barcelona has also evolved an individual and eclectic cultural identity, most perfectly and eccentrically expressed in the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Scattered as Barcelona's main sights may be, the greatest concentration of interest is around the old town (La Ciutat Vella). These cramped streets above the harbor are easily manageable, and far more enjoyable, on foot. Start, as everyone else does, with the Ramblas.
Destination Guide

View Full Itinerary

Valid Date Ranges

March 2025
03/29/2025 04/08/2025 $3,425 per person
April 2025
04/12/2025 04/22/2025 $3,425 per person
04/26/2025 05/06/2025 $3,425 per person
May 2025
05/10/2025 05/20/2025 $3,425 per person
05/24/2025 06/03/2025 $3,425 per person
June 2025
06/07/2025 06/17/2025 $3,425 per person
06/21/2025 07/01/2025 $3,425 per person
July 2025
07/05/2025 07/15/2025 $3,775 per person
07/19/2025 07/29/2025 $3,650 per person
August 2025
08/02/2025 08/12/2025 $3,650 per person
08/16/2025 08/26/2025 $3,650 per person
08/30/2025 09/09/2025 $3,695 per person
September 2025
09/13/2025 09/23/2025 $3,695 per person
09/27/2025 10/07/2025 $3,575 per person
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability and change without notice. Prices reflect land only accommodations, airfare is additional. Blackout dates/seasonal supplements may apply. Itinerary and map subject to change. Prices are per person based on double occupancy and do not include Canadian tax.. Prices are shown in USD as a guideline only and may vary at time of booking due to fluctuations in exchange rate. Taxes and additional fees not included. Holiday surcharge may apply. Rates may vary by category and departure date; please inquire for details. Itinerary and map subject to change. Price is per person, based on double occupancy. Please check with your travel advisor for current pricing. All pricing is subject to change without notice. Pricing will be confirmed after receipt of a non-refundable deposit as detailed under the supplier’s booking conditions. Other restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.