Quintessential Spain Tour for Well Aged Travelers

Experience the beauty and fervor of Spain's capital city when you touch down at the Madrid Barajas International Airport and ready yourself for your immersive getaway. After collecting your bags and traveling through customs, you will meet your expert guide who will lead you to the city center via a private shuttle service. Soon, you will be whizzing along the busied boulevards of Madrid's downtown until reaching your five-star hotel beside the Plaza Mayor.

Once you have settled into your hotel, you will once again meet your expert guide in the lobby and begin to explore Spain's exciting capital city. At the Plaza del Sol, the city comes alive with street vendors, live music entertainment, restaurant-goers, and impassioned flamenco dancers. You will tour the plaza and behold the Puerta del Sol facade, which marks the convergence of all major Spanish highways, signifying the central-most point of Spain. You'll have the chance to poke your head into quaint bookstores, cafes, and outdoor marketplaces. In the evening, you will enjoy a three-course luxury meal along Gran Via before resting up at your hotel and enjoying city views from your private balcony.

The next morning, you can arise with a creamy cup of cafe con leche and tostada from your hotel balcony or a sunkissed cafe patio nearby. Then, by late morning, you will meet your private guide for a customized tour of Madrid's highlights, including the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace.

You will begin your day at the Royal Palace, first constructed in 1735. This opulent edifice, still the official residence of the Spanish royal family, spans 135,000-square feet and contains 3,418 rooms. As you enter the gold-leafed gates, you will feel like royalty. You can stroll through the palace gardens and look out from the courtyard for panoramic views of the city. Next, cross the city's downtown to indulge in some of the nation's finest artwork at the Reina Sofia Museum. You will see original work by famed artists Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. In the afternoon, you can relax with a leisurely horse-drawn carriage ride through Parque El Retiro as you look out on the Grand Pond and the Crystal Palace. In the evening, you can enjoy a delicious dinner of grilled meat, fresh seafood, and vegetarian tapas at the Plaza Mayor.

The following day, you will board Spain's high-speed AVE train to the eccentric city of Valencia. Valencia is the third-largest metropolitan area in Spain yet offers a simple, charming historic downtown. Beyond the downtown, visitors can enjoy the artistic aesthetic of the city, most apparent in its architecture. Valencia is also a widely popular city to visit during the annual Las Fallas festival in which whimsical ceramic art installations are set ablaze as a sort of lights and fireworks spectacular.

Visitors will enjoy the first half of the day to indulge in some self-guided exploration of the city's downtown. You can visit highlights like the National Museum of Ceramic Arts, Llotja de la Seda stoic medieval building, and the famous Plaza de la Virgen. Then, you can step inside the Mercat Central alongside your expert guide for a peek at mesmerizing displays of olives, cheeses, and fine wines. In the late afternoon, you will settle in at a five-star restaurant for a guided demonstration of one of Spain's most beloved dishes: paella. Your expert chef will show you the process of marinating seafood, mixing vegetables, and sprinkling the medley with crimson-red saffron before offering a sample of this delectable staple meal.

Next, you will spend the day on foot exploring the futuristic, bold designs of famed architect Santiago Calatrava. You can choose to arrive at the City of Arts and Sciences on foot, by bike, or via private shuttle service. As soon as you arrive, you will be greeted with the stark white sculpture-like structures jutting into the blue sky. Massive panels of glass sparkle in the sunlight and reflect the glistening waves of a central basin.

Together, you will explore the park grounds that have become synonymous with Valencian architecture in many senses. You will round the city's aquarium, L'Oceanografic, the facade of which is an attraction all its own. A massive arching exterior mimics a fin, and the bold white frame juxtaposes against the deep blue glass windows. Once the tour concludes, you can enjoy a period of self-guided exploration.

In the evening, you will marvel at the Mediterranean's stunning sunset from Malva-Rosa beach as you dig your toes into the soft sand. Then, enjoy your final night in Valencia with a three-course meal along the mesmerizing waterfront. Cheers with a fresh glass of fruity sangria as you prepare for a new adventure in Barcelona the following day.

When you arrive in Barcelona, you will be met with a flurry of activity that ensues downtown as locals and travelers converge along quaint cobbled streets and beneath stoic palaces and cathedrals. Upon arrival at the Renfe train station, you will meet your guide and settle into your five-star hotel along Las Ramblas. You can venture to the city streets on your own to experience the fervor of this famous pedestrian boulevard, home to street vendors, artists, restaurants, and cafes. You can also check out La Boqueria market to marvel at the colorful hues of fresh produce, candies, olives, and cheeses.

By mid-day, you will once again meet up with your expert guide for a tour of Barcelona's historic downtown, also known at the Gothic Quarter. Together, you will visit such highlights as the Placa Sant Jaume, Cathedral of Barcelona, Placa Nova, and Placa del Rei, and Bishop's Bridge. Then, in the evening, you will attend an authentic flamenco and dinner performance. You can watch as the impassioned dancers pick up the ends of their ruffled skirts to show off fancy footwork. Soon, you will be clapping along to the rat-a-tat-tat syncopation of this beloved traditional dance.

The following day, you can immerse yourself in the whimsical architecture of acclaimed architect Antoni Gaudi, known for his irreverent and eye-catching facades. After a light breakfast near Las Ramblas, you will meet your guide in front of your hotel to venture together to the Sagrada Familia UNESCO World Heritage site. As you near the entrance, you will be met by the oozing, molten lava-like exterior of this grand cathedral. Conic spires shoot into the air as careful stonework below tells elaborate bible stories. As you step inside, you will be met by the rainbow hues of light pouring in through stained glass windows and peer up at massive stone columns. Your guide will lead you on a customized tour of the interior and provide context to the church's captivating history.

After lunch beside the cathedral, you will travel farther north to the Gracias neighborhood en route to Park Guell. Here, you will once again experience the whimsy and creativity of Antoni Gaudi, this time, in the form of stone cottages, stone tunnels, cascading staircases, and mosaic tiles benches, perfect for taking in panoramic views of the city below and the Mediterranean Sea beyond.

On your final day in Barcelona, and the last day of your expedition in Spain, you can choose from a few half-day options. Soccer lovers, or futbol, as it's called locally, will enjoy a visit to Camp Nou, the official stadium of the beloved FC Barcelona team. In order to get to the stadium, visitors must board private ground transportation beyond the city's downtown. Other travelers may enjoy a few more hours at the beach. You can sunbathe at local favorites, like Playa de la Barceloneta, Platja de la Nova Icaria, and Platja de la and wade in the shimmering sunkissed waters to cool off. Travelers who wish to find souvenirs for family and friends at home can also do so in the Gothic Quarter or along Las Ramblas.

In the late afternoon, you can meet your guide in front of your hotel and collect bags before boarding your private shuttle to the airport. You can glance out the window one last time as you whiz down central avenues. You can almost taste the savory saffron-induced paella on your tongue and hear the fervent stomping of flamenco dancers as you look out on the crashing ocean waves one final time.