Personalised Luxury Tour - Goya to Gaudi ULIB08

Personal Highlights:

• Private tours of the Prado and Reina Sofia Museums with an expert guide
• A tour of the Guggenheim in Bilbao
• A visit to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and a walking tour of Gaudi’s architectural triumphs
• Flamenco in Madrid, a cooking class in Bilbao and a Tapas tour in Barcelona’s old town

Day 1 Depart USA

This evening we board our overnight flight to Madrid to begin our exploration of Spanish art and architecture.

Day 2 An Introduction to Madrid

We arrive in Madrid and complete immigration procedures. Upon leaving customs, we are met by our driver and given an overview of Madrid’s scenic attractions including famous squares such as Plaza de Espana, de Oriente, Plaza Mayor Puerta del Sol and Plaza Castilla and well known avenues like Castellana and Gran Via. We will then be taken to our deluxe, centrally located hotel where we can rest or begin our exploration of Spain’s capitol city. Dinner, this evening, is at the hotel’s well regarded restaurant.

Day 3 Goya, Velasquez, El Greco and Ribera

Today our morning will be focused on the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum. The Royal Palace is the largest in Europe and was built by Philip V in the 18th Century. The building itself is an architectural treasure but inside is a rare and diverse collection of ceramics, tapestry and clocks. After the palace we visit the Prado, one of the most important art galleries in the world. Here are the Spanish masters including Goya, Velasquez, El Greco and Ribera. They are joined by Raphael, Rubens and Titian among others. This afternoon is left open to allow you some time for personal sightseeing or some shopping. Your guide can tell you the best shopping streets. This evening we will take you on a gastronomic exploration of Madrid as we visit three different establishments in old Madrid to partake of various pairings of wine and food.    

Day 4 Reina Sofia-a hospital reborn

From the 16th Century up until 1965, the building housing the Reina Sofia Museum was a major hospital serving Madrid. When that service was moved elsewhere the building was, at one time slated for demolition but its designation of landmark status saved it and a dramatic re-design including three large steel and glass elevator silos on the outside allowed the hospital to re-open as a museum in 1990. This museum is dedicated to modern art from the late 19th Century to the present. Obviously, focus is given to Spanish artist such as Picasso, Juan Gris, Miro, Dali and Julio Gonzalez but others including Americans Alexander Calder and WWII photographer Robert Capa are represented. The highlight of the permanent collection is Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica. We will have a private tour of the key exhibits and then the rest of the afternoon is free. This evening we experience good food, fine wine and true flamenco.                                

Day 5 Bilbao and the Guggenheim

After breakfast we are taken to the airport for the brief flight to Bilbao on Spain’s north coast. Our host will meet us and take us for lunch before our private tour of the Guggenheim museum. Opened in 1997, the museum now defines Bilbao. Designed by Frank Gehry and clad in Titanium it is a masterpiece in and of itself. After our museum tour we see the highlights of this port city before checking into our hotel. 

Day 6 Introduction to Basque Wine and Cooking

For a change of pace, we will a drive to the town of Getaria which, along with its neighboring towns of Zarautz and Aia, are the only ones authorized to use the wine denomination of Getariako Txakolina. Txakoli (Cha-Ko-Lee) is a wine known only in the Basque region   and is a light but tasty white wine with some carbonation that occurs naturally. We will visit the vineyards and sample the various vintages with lunch before returning to San Sebastian. After some time for relaxation we head out to a restaurant where we have a private cooking course in Basque cuisine which we help prepare and eat along with the suitable wines.                            

Day 7 Barcelona, City of Gaudi

This morning we will head to Spain’s most exciting and cosmopolitan city, Barcelona, site of the 1992 Olympic Games. The warm climate, the stunning and innovative architecture and the people themselves make this a great place to explore. Our driver will pick us up from our Madrid hotel and take us to the airport where we board our flight to Barcelona. Upon arrival our host will meet us and take us to lunch followed by an     orientation tour of the city including, the Olympic stadium and Montjuic site of the World Exposition in the early 20th Century and close to the location of our hotel. After arriving at the hotel we have the chance to relax on the terrace enjoying the stunning views of the city and out to the Mediterranean.                                                     

Day 8 La Rambla, the Gothic Quarter and the Picasso Museum

After breakfast our host will meet us to take us on a walking tour of the medieval part of the city called the Gothic Quarter. First we will walk down one of Barcelona’s most famous streets known as La Rambla. Here we will see top quality stores, fine hotels and street vendors selling pets, chickens, flowers and other interesting items. Leaving La Rambla we enter the quaint and twisting streets of the Gothic Quarter home to residents, shops and fine restaurants. In the central part of the Quarter is the Cathedral built in the 13th Century which we will visit. We will also visit the Picasso Museum with many of the works created during his extended residency in the city. We will top off our visit at one of the area’s better restaurants where a fine meal awaits. After an extended lunch you are free to continue an exploration of the Quarter or La Rambla before returning on your own to our hotel.                                                                 

Day 9 A Gaudi Walking Tour

The high priest of modernist architecture, Antoni Gaudi belongs to a distinguished line of visionaries who, over the generations, have endowed Barcelona with the world’s most curious mixture of styles. On our combination walking and driving tour we will view some of Gaudi’s key commercial works including two downtown apartment buildings Casa Batllo and Casa Mila built in the early 1900’s and still in use today. We will then spend some time studying La Sagrada Familia the cathedral that is Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece. He took charge of the project in 1883 when work had already commenced on the crypt and gradually worked on the project more and more until it took all his time and financial resources. We will explore both the outside and the inside. After our tour the rest of the afternoon is free. This evening we travel to old town to sample the best regional wines and Tapas with a local expert.                                                        

Day 10 Return to USA

After breakfast our driver will be waiting to take us to the airport for our return flight to the US.

Services Included

• Business Class airfare from the US departure point to the International destination
• All air transportation as part of the program offered and 1st Class rail travel as indicated on the itinerary
• Superior Rooms at the properties indicated in the accommodations area (We reserve the right to substitute a property of equal quality in advance of departure should the designated hotel be unavailable)
• Private Transfers to and from the airport or rail station
• All meals as indicated on the itinerary by B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner
• Private guides for city explorations and private driver/guide while traveling.
• Entrance fees to all museums, attractions and other venues as indicated on the daily itinerary
• Baggage handling at all hotels
• All applicable taxes and service fees

Services Not Included

• Beverages with included meals ( unless otherwise indicated on itinerary page)
• Any meals not indicated on the Itinerary page
• Items of a personal nature e.g. minibar, film, postcards etc.
• Gratuities to Guides and Driver/Guides ( we provide suggested guidelines for your selected destination in your pre-departure material
• Any passport or visa fees or government departure taxes

Available Year Round