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CLASSIC SPAIN

Extend your European vacation with this inspired overland journey across Spain. Begin in Barcelona, tasting your way through the famous Boqueria Market and exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-designated works of Antoni Gaudi. Continue to Valencia for a visit to the Silk Exchange Building — another World Heritage site — before sampling the city’s famous paella. Finish your adventure in Madrid while making tapas with a local chef, watching a fiery flamenco performance, and touring ancient Toledo, the World Heritage-designated “City of Three Cultures.”

Starting at $6,599.00 USD per guest

Pre-Cruise Itinerary Overview

7 days, 6 nights
 

Day 1: Welcome to Barcelona! Disembark your Seabourn ship and meet your guide for an orientation tour of this fascinating city, capital of Spain’s Catalonia region. Make your way to Las Ramblas — Barcelona’s famous tree-lined pedestrian boulevard, which runs through the city center — for a visit to La Boquería Market. The oldest and most spirited market of its kind in Europe, Mercat de la Boquería delights with its cornucopia of aromas, colors, and tastes. Spend some free time wandering the seemingly endless stalls stacked with mouth-watering vegetables and fruits, nuts, meats, and every seafood imaginable. Enjoy lunch on your own at one of the market’s many kioscos or food counters before heading to your elegant hotel to check in and relax.

This evening, meet your wine ambassador guide for a tapas walking tour, sampling a selection of tasty tapas perfectly paired with Spanish wines from around the country.

Hotel: NH Collection Gran Hotel Calderon or similar
 

Day 2: Discover more of Barcelona on a panoramic sightseeing tour, admiring the 197-foot-high Columbus Monument, Plaza de Cataluña — a massive public square and meeting place — and Paseo de Gracia, the city’s most exclusive shopping street. Enjoy some free time for lunch on your own, then spend the afternoon exploring the World Heritage-designated works of master Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.  

Visit La Sagrada Familia, undoubtedly Gaudi’s most influential work. Under construction since 1882, This unfinished, surreal church has become one of the most cherished monuments in all of Spain. Next, head to the Manzana de la Discordia or “Block of Discord,” a section of Paseo de Gracia so named for its Modernist houses; here you visit Casa Mila, the last private residence designed by the famed architect. Soak in the panorama from the top of Montjuïc Hill, then wind your way through the historic Barri Gòtic or Gothic Quarter. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, accompanied by Spanish wine and spectacular, 360-degree views of the city and Mediterranean Sea.

Hotel: NH Collection Gran Hotel Calderon or similar
 

Day 3: Sit back and relax on a four-hour drive along the coast to Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city and a former royal capital. Upon arrival, stretch your legs on a guided walking tour through Barrio del Carmen, the wonderfully preserved Old Town. Valencia’s Roman, Moorish, and Spanish heritage comes alive as you wander this medieval neighborhood’s maze of narrow, cobblestone streets; visit the Central Market and buzzy Town Hall Square, fronted by its namesake baroque building. Pass by the massive, 14th-century Serrano Towers on your way to La Lonja, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The late-Gothic building, constructed between 1482 and 1533, originally served as an exchange for the city’s thriving silk trade. Admire its cathedral-like hall before enjoying some free time for lunch, perhaps sipping a glass of horchata, a popular sweet drink made with tiger-nut milk.

Check into your exclusive hotel and spend the afternoon at leisure. Valencia is the proud birthplace of paella, and tonight you dine on this delicious staple of Spanish cuisine at one of the city’s finest restaurants.

Hotel: NH Collection Valencia Colón or similar
 

Day 4:  Enjoy some free time in Valencia before boarding your motorcoach for the scenic, four-hour drive to Madrid, Spain’s cosmopolitan capital. Gain your bearings on a short orientation tour before checking in to your luxurious, centrally located hotel. The afternoon is free to explore and have lunch on your own.

Tonight, you join a local chef for a tapas cooking demonstration and dinner. Learn about the history of these bite-size delicacies and how they became one of the most fashionable cuisines in the world as your chef guides you in preparing a selection of traditional tapas, along with a dessert and sangria. Copies of the recipes allow you to relive this memorable evening once you’re back at home.

Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel Madrid or similar
 

Day 5: The Spanish capital since 1561, Madrid is a strikingly modern city that has lovingly preserved its historic neighborhoods and streets. Discover some of its hidden gems on a guided walking tour, taking in the pleasant Plaza de España, the 19th-century Parliament building, and the neoclassical Cibeles Fountain. Visit the palatial Prado Museum, one of three impressive museums that make up Madrid’s famous “Golden Triangle” of art. The Prado houses one of the world’s finest collections of European art with more than 1,300 works on display, including important pieces by Goya, Velázquez, and Rubens.

Spend the rest of the day as you please, perhaps visiting the Museo Reina Sofia — home to Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica — or strolling through leafy Retiro Park with its lovely lake. You’ll find great people-watching in Plaza Mayor, designer shopping in the Salamanca district, and Madrid’s legendary nightlife scene all within walking distance of your hotel.

Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel Madrid or similar
 

Day 6: Set out for the ancient capital of Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Populated since the Bronze Age, Toledo’s spirit of La Convivencia — the peaceful coexistence of Christians, Jews, and Muslims during the Middle Ages — earned it the moniker, “City of Three Cultures.” This rich cultural exchange incubated a host of Spanish intellectuals and artists such as El Greco; view one of the painter’s greatest masterpieces, The Burial of Count Orgaz, inside the 14th-century Church of Santo Tomé. Also visit the impressive Toledo Cathedral, considered the archetype of medieval Gothic architecture in Spain. Sections of its gilded interior serve as a gallery for Old Masters canvases, including works by El Greco, Titan, Goya, and Raphael.

Linger over lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Madrid, then spend the rest of the afternoon as you please. This evening, you are treated to dinner and a fiery flamenco show — the perfect farewell to your time in Spain.

Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel Madrid or similar
 

Day 7: At the appropriate time, transfer to the Madrid airport for your return flight home.

This Post-Cruise Seabourn Journey Is Available:
 

        May 27, 2023 Post-Cruise (2023 World Cruise)