A Taste of Spain With Expat Explore
A Taste of Spain: A 7-Day Guided Tour with Expat Explore
As much as I enjoy doing things on my own when it comes to travel, every now and then, I like to take it easy and have someone else do all the planning. My dream has always been to visit Spain, and I truly wanted to enjoy and take in the experience without having to figure out the logistics of it. Last summer, I traveled with Expat Explore on their 7-day “A Taste of Spain” guided tour. I was able to visit not one, but NINE amazing cities around Spain plus an extra country — all in one week!
I booked the “Taste of Spain” Tour Through Expat Explore. They offer tours throughout most of Europe as well as Asia, the Middle East and North/South America
https://expatexplore.com/
Accommodation and transportation (air conditioned coach bus) was included for the entire trip, as well as some meals (unlimited breakfast every day), plus 12 memorable experiences around Spain. Prices range from $900-$1250, depending on when you visit.
Day 1: Arrival in Madrid. Brief walk around the city center, followed by welcome dinner.
Day 2: Morning departure from Madrid. Comfort stop in Segovia. Final destination: San Sebastian.
Day 3: Morning departure from San Sebastian. Stop in Pamplona for the until the early afternoon. Wine tasting in Ainzon before arrival in Zaragoza. Late afternoon/early evening walking tour around Zaragoza.
Day 4: Morning departure from Zaragoza en route to Barcelona. Brief stop to shop/eat in the small, landlocked nation of Andorra, then drive to Barcelona. Brief walk around Barcelona followed by dinner in the evening.
Day 5: Free day in Barcelona.
Day 6: Morning departure from Barcelona en route to Valencia. Stop for an afternoon in Peñiscola. Drive to Valencia. Walking tour of the city followed by a traditional Valencian paella dinner.
Day 7: Morning departure from Valencia. Brief stop in Cuenca to see the Belmonte Castle. Drive back to Madrid.
For more detailed information on accommodation, itinerary, and reviews for this tour: https://expatexplore.com/tours/taste-of-spain/
Optional Excursions:
Everything listed on the itinerary above is included, but Expat Explore also gives travelers the option to join excursions for an additional cost. For the “Taste of Spain” tour, the following excursions are available during the free day in Barcelona:
- Day trip to Monserrat (this was an option during my trip with them, but requires a minimum amount of travelers, which is why you won’t see this listed currently on their site)
- Evening buffet dinner followed by traditional flamenco show in Las Ramblas
Excursions are booked during the tour and must be paid in cash to your tour guide. See them for prices.
How to Spend Your Free Day in Barcelona:
Most of Expat Explore’s tours include at least one free day in a major city. I love this because it gives you a chance to be on your own after spending a week on a structured tour, so you get to plan the day as you wish. Free days are just that: free days. You can wake up as early or as late as you want and go wherever you want. Unless you choose to do one of the excursions, which I opted not to ( I’d already seen a flamenco show in Madrid), you don’t have to be back to the hotel at any specific time. Though you are on your own, you can always link up with other group members, or ask your tour guide for suggestions on what to do. Here’s how I spent my free day in Barcelona:
Early morning trip to Park Güell. (Park Güell is requires a timed entry, but this is only during the normal operating hours. The park is free if you enter before opening time, which was 8am at the time I was there. Visiting during sunrise is best to avoid crowds, though when I reached at 7am there was already a bit of a crowd)
Subway to Passeig da Gracia. This is one of major and most popular streets in Barcelona. Not only is this one of the best places to get some shopping in, but it also contains some very famous pieces of architecture by Gaudi.
Casa Mila (La Pedrera) & Casa Battlo. Both of these buildings are open to the public and are very famous works by Antoni Gaudi. While I opted to only photograph Casa Mila from the outside, I did purchase a ticket to visit the inside of Casa Battlo. This is definitely something you do not want to miss. The architecture is so colorful and unique, nothing like I’ve ever seen before. To avoid lines, you can purchase your timed entry online: https://www.casabatllo.es/en/online-tickets/
Stroll through the Gothic Quarter & Las Ramblas. Another popular street and an attraction on its own, Las Ramblas is a pedestrian street in Barcelona that stretches nearly one mile. It also connects the neighborhood of El Raval and the Gothic Quarter. You can do a lot of souvenir shopping here, but beware: Las Ramblas is known for pickpockets!
Sagrada Familia. Of course I save the most famous attraction for last. I ended the evening exploring the Sagrada Familia. Tip: For the best photo of the Sagrada Familia, head on over across the street to Plaça de Gaudi to get a full view of this masterpiece.
Extending your trip:
The “Taste of Spain” tour comes before the “Highlights of Spain and Portugal,” which if you book them together, make up the “Spain & Portugal” 15-day tour. After returning to Madrid on Day 7, those returning home after Taste of Spain get dropped off. Then comes along the group that is doing just the second leg of the 15 day tour. If you have more vacation time or just want to explore more of Spain, I suggest you book the entire two week tour. I opted to branch off after Day 7 and head straight to Portugal from Madrid. Some of the cities I visited in Portugal are covered on the two week tour, but I wanted to spend more time in the cities rather than just an afternoon.
I would also suggest adding a day or two in Madrid before or after your tour. While the tour begins here, it only includes a brief walk around the downtown area, so you don’t get to explore much. I arrived in Madrid two days before the tour, and was able to explore some sights I would have otherwise missed out on.
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