This tour visits Spain's two largest and most important —yet distinctly different—cities: Madrid and Barcelona. Stay at the best luxury hotels in each city and enjoy comprehensive touring with your own guides and drivers, with each day tailored to your interests.
Begin in aristocratic Madrid, the Spanish capital known for its elegant squares, stately Habsburg architecture, leafy boulevards and superb museums. With your expert private guide, explore the city according to your interests. Perhaps tour the majestic Royal Palace and the world-renowned Prado Museum to see paintings and sculpture from the royal collections, or the equally impressive Reina Sofia or Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. Stroll through the narrow backstreets of elegant shopping and residential districts. One evening, enjoy a private “tapas tasting” tour of some of the city’s most beloved tapas bars.
One day, enjoy an excursion to Toledo. Known as the city of three cultures, Toledo once flourished as a unique center where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived in harmony. Accordingly, this mix of cultures is reflected in the city’s architecture and layout. Toledo was also home to the painter known as El Greco, and many of his paintings still remain here—including his masterpiece, The Burial of Count Orgaz. Alternatively, visit the medieval section of Segovia, which is listed in its entirety as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is most famous for its well-preserved, ancient Roman aqueduct, an imposing Gothic cathedral, and the spectacular, spiky-turreted Alcazar that rises high upon a rock outcrop.
Conclude in Barcelona, one of Europe's most dynamic centers of modern art and contemporary culture. With your private guide, tour the city’s famous boulevards, the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, the central food market, and neighborhoods that are centers of Barcelona's design movement. Discover Gaudi's fantastical buildings, such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo and the hillside Parc Guell. Also visit several of the city’s many excellent museums and architectural landmarks. One day, enjoy a cooking class where you will learn to prepare several regional dishes—Catalan cuisine is considered one of the best in Spain. Alternatively, enjoy a private excursion into the Catalan countryside, dotted with ancient stone farmhouses and charming medieval villages.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Arrive Madrid
Private arrival transfer to hotel for 3 nights. Afternoon private tour of Madrid
Day 2
Madrid
Half-day private city tour. Evening "tapas tour"
Day 3
Madrid& Toledo
Full-day private excursion to Toledo or Segovia
Day 4
Madrid - Barcelona
Transfer by high speed train Barcelona for 3 nights
Day 5
Barcelona
Full-day private city tour
Day 6
Barcelona
Full-day countryside excursion or morning cooking class and afternoon city
touring
Day 7
Depart Barcelona
Private airport transfer
Hotel
Madrid:
Hotel Ritz Madrid
Barcelona:
Hotel Arts Barcelona or Hotel Omm
Cost
$9,895
Per person (double occupancy)
All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.
Call us at (800) 214-8144 for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.
