Best of Spain
From CAD $2,135
Guarantee
Group Tour
Easy
Rating
(10 reviews)
Experience Overview
There's no better chance to live your best Spanish life than 10 days drifting around Spain. Together we'll explore Spain's most iconic cities - think Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia & Granada – along with the smaller cobbled-street towns of Burgos, Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Pamplona & Toledo. Between paella-making classes, evening flamenco, locally guided tours of Albaicin & Alhambra, plus plenty of tapas, we'll feel like Spanish locals in no time.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 9 Breakfast (B)
FAQs
- London: What does a modular trip mean? A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
- Madrid: Do the included meals have a set menu? Yep. Usually, we arrange a buffet for all your included meals. If you’d like a vegetarian option, please inform your Trip Manager beforehand, and they’ll sort it out for you.
- Madrid: I need to refrigerate my medication. Can I do that on the coach? Of course! Just inform your Trip Manager if you need refrigeration on the coach. Please remember that the fridge is turned off overnight, so you’ll have to take your medication with you into your accommodation. We recommend that you bring a cooler bag with you as a backup. It’s your responsibility to store your medication with care.
Included Experience
- Pamplona: Your Trip Manager will escort you into the heart of the city and give a brief orientation talk. After that, you're free to explore this quirky and colourful city in your own way.
- Bilbao: Home to world famous art museums and architecture that’s grander than grand. Today you’ll have plenty of time to explore Bilbao, taking in the mountains and the skyscrapers.
- San Sebastián: Where better to admire the sunset than on the beautiful beaches of San Sebastián? This resort town is known for its fantastic food too – so make sure you’re hungry!
- Barcelona: We’ll check out the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s world-renowned masterpiece. Work began on the church in the 1880s and while it was technically never finished, it’s still a wonder to behold.
- Barcelona: Enjoy an included dinner at Mescladis – a non-profit that’s all about social cohesion, doing their bit to enrich coexistence, with rights and opportunities for all.
- Granada: Probably the most Instagrammable palace that’s ever existed. Tour this Moorish marvel with an expert.
- Toledo: This medieval city is a cultural melting pot, with a mix of Spanish, Arabic and Jewish influences. Get some pics of the Alcázar Fortress and the gothic Cathedral.
Trip Details
Product Code: 18832
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Contiki (CA)
Supplier Code: 484.1655A
Starts: Madrid, Spain
Finishes: Madrid, Spain
Duration: 10 days
Departures: Not Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $2,135 ($214 /day)
Itinerary
Welcome to Spain! Join up with your new crew tonight over your first group dinner in the metro magic of Madrid. Tomorrow will be a whole world of discovery, so you'll be thankful for your hotel sleep.
Accommodation: Hotel Praga (or similar)
Meals: Dinner
The first leg of our Iberian roadtrip kicks off this morning as we travel north in search of Burgos and Pamplona. We couldn't race to our night's stop-off point without letting you marvel at the pretty medieval town of Burgos first. For real, just wait till you see the gorgeous town square. Our next stop is the colourful Pamplona. We’ll start with a brief orientation tour of this well-preserved town, and then you'll have some free time to explore in your own way.
Accommodation: AZZ Pamplona Norte (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Rise and shine, Spanish explorers! Two new cities await us today, but not until we’ve had breakfast. Bilbao might get bragging rights to being an up-and-coming cultural hub of Spain, but that hasn't diminished its uber laid back spirit. Home of one of the world’s most famous museums, the Museo Guggenheim, you're free to use your morning to play art critique and absorb Bilbao's pretty surrounds and architecture. Next stop, San Sebastián! This is a pretty postcard town where cobbled lanes slope towards pristine beaches. Take a walk, do some shopping or just sit and chill in a bar, enjoying endless plates of pintxos (the Basque version of tapas). Our day ends where it started in Pamplona, where you’ll sleep soundly with a head full of modern art-themed dreams.
Accommodation: AZZ Pamplona Norte (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we spread our wings and take metaphorical flight once again, this time in the direction of Zaragoza with an end goal of none other than bustling Barcelona. A colourful cathedral & traditional Spanish churros will set our hearts aflutter in Zaragoza, as we roam the casco (old town) soaking up historic architecture and good vibes aplenty. Even the pit stops are amazing on Contiki. With 2-nights in Barcelona, you'll be pronouncing Barcelona's C with a "tthh" like a true local by the time we make tracks. We'll kick things off with an orientation tour, before enjoying dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Park Putxet Barcelona (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today you’ll have the chance to join a guided bike tour of the city. Afterwards, you could take a wander through the colourful buildings & gardens of Gaudi's iconic Parc Güell or beach lovers could head to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Park Putxet Barcelona (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
This morning we're ready for a change of scene - the port city of Valencia is calling, where beach meets culture in the happiest way possible. It’s hard not to be enchanted by Valencia as we explore the city during our orientation walk. With one night here in the land that invented paella it would be crazy not to sign up for an optional paella-making class tonight with the crew. Who's in?
Accommodation: NH Valencia Las Ciencias (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
It's been short but sweet, Valencia, and we won't forget you. Today, we're seeking the very different vibes of Granada. How are all these places in just one country? Granada is brimming with romance and offering an eclectic mix of Arab and Spanish feels only to be found in Andalusia. This is one place you may never want to leave! We'll join up tonight for an included dinner with the crew.
Accommodation: Macia Condor (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
We start the morning with free time to explore. You can fill yours by opting for a guided tour of the Muslim quarter of Albaicin & the Capilla Real, and while you're at it, fill up on some of Granada's incredible food, like its famous Arab pastries. This afternoon we head to Spain's number 1 visited attraction, the Alhambra Palace. We'll discover the breathtaking beauty and history of this Moorish Palace, with its intricate patterns and detailed architecture that will leave you spellbound, and wondering why you haven't been here sooner. To top it off, Alhambra offers the best views of the city. Feel the Spanish rhythm and style by opting for a traditional flamenco and tapas night with your Contiki family. Que beuno!
Accommodation: Macia Condor (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Bouncing out of bed should be no problem this morning, given the scenic adventures we have planned today on route to Madrid. Synagogues, churches and medieval buildings sit atop the hill town of Toledo. We'll uncover the city's gothic cathedral, the famous Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect El Greco’s house and the site of sieges, revolutions and treason. Just another pit-stop in our life in glorious Spain. Here we are, back where the party started. You're free to spend the evening your way tonight and Madrid's nightlife is pumping, so grab some tapas, sangria and your dancing shoes for a night out on the town.
Accommodation: Hotel Praga (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
Tears and tissues and pinky swears for a reunion trip will mark the blur of sadness that is our morning departure. These are the memories that will stay with you a life time; make sure your next Contiki adventure is just around the corner.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Contiki (CA)
Contiki is a New Zealand-based tour company that caters to 18 to 35-year-olds, offering over 350 different tours in over 75 countries in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.[1] It is a subsidiary of The Travel Corporation. Its tours historically had a reputation for partying;[2][3] however, it also operates wellness trips culturally immersive experiences that focus less on alcohol, which are more popular with Generation Z.[4] The company owns lodging facilities in Europe, including the Chateau De Cruix, a 16th century castle in the Beaujolais wine region, and the Gasthof Schoneck in the Austrian Tyrol. The name "Contiki" comes from the portmanteau 'Con' from the word 'Continent' and 'Tiki'; from the Māori referring to the first man, often symbolised as a pendant known as hei-tiki. It can also be attributed to the New Zealand slang 'Tiki-tour' describing taking a longer route to a destination in order to explore.[5]
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Anonymous - Traveled, December 2024
I wish it were clearer which trip are modular (people joining/leaving mid-trip). Great trip, Spain is lovely, great pacing.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/13/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, November 2024
I loved the areas covered during the trip. The trip manager and driver were so efficient in getting us everywhere and we had enough time for all our activities.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/14/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, October 2024
Very warm and professional tour manager and driver. Great immersion into the local culture. Visited the biggest cosmopolitan cities in Spain as well the more quiet beautiful little towns in Spain. Got the best experience out of it highly recommend.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/15/2024
Georgina - Traveled, August 2024
Super easy to book and keep in touch with! Honestly so difficult to pick one. Would have to say the tour manager because she was not only lovely but she had an incredible depth of knowledge about all of the places we visited and I left the tour with so much gained!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/16/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, July 2024
Made lifelong friendships, memories, and travel experience. And they are fantastic!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/17/2024
Trishana - Traveled, June 2024
The trip was amazing, with lots of good food and drinks, beautiful site seeing and partying, information about the history of Spanish culture, and sufficient time to explore each stop. The trip was planned very well and we did not have to be on the road for to long but rather had more time to see the places we stopped at.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/18/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, May 2024
I liked the pace. The fta were good except the one in San sebastian which was underwhelming.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/19/2024
Lucy - Traveled, April 2024
Booking the trip was extremely easy. We booked as a group of three and had no troubles throughout the booking process. I absolutely loved the Best of Spain trip. I saw so many incredible sites in such a short amount of time. We went to places and took part in activities that I would never have thought of planning myself. I saw so many incredible landscapes both rural and city so I felt like I had a good view of the two sides of Spain. It was such a good overview of the country and this trip has definitely made me want to go back. The people you meet as you travel on the Contiki is 100% the biggest highlight.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/20/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, March 2024
The Best of Spain was an awesome adventure of a trip, especially the second half! Visiting Alhambra Castle and the Flamenco night were definitely the highlights! Was easy and efficient couldn’t of went any better.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/21/2024
Anonymous - Traveled, March 2024
I received way too many emails asking to confirm my information when online it said I had until 30 days before the start of the trip. Our guide and coach driver were amazing but there were barely any included activities besides walking tours. Hotels were usually far from central areas.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/22/2024
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