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Madrid & The Basque Country

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Basque Country Highlights
  • La Concha Beach
  • Pintxos (Tapas) Tour
  • Funicular on Mount Igeldo
  • Fortress on Mount Urgull
  • Basque Maritime Museum & Aquarium
  • Guggenheim Bilbao
Highlights
  • Madrid's Royal Palace
  • Dome of the Almudena Cathedral
  • Flamenco Evening
  • Picasso’s “Guernica” at the Reina Sofia
  • Bernabeu Stadium Tour
  • Goya, Velázquez, Titian, Rubens, and Bosch at the Prado
  • Excursion to El Escorial to visit the tombs of Spanish Monarchs

Introduction

Since 2009 we’ve been offering all-inclusive international travel programs for students interested developing real world travel skills while exploring some of the world's most interesting places as part of a small group.
Our programs seize every opportunity to practice foreign language, navigation, scheduling, collaboration, and budgeting skills with real world activities like cross-referencing street and metro maps, purchasing transit passes, researching opening days/times, navigating an itinerary and staying on schedule, choosing restaurants and making reservations, and eating well while staying within a meal allowance.

Itinerary

Highlights of this comprehensive itinerary include exploring the Royal Palace in Madrid, an excursion out to the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama to visit the tombs of Spanish Monarchs at El Escorial, the view of Madrid from the dome of the Almudena Cathedral, a tour of Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium, studying the works of Goya, Velázquez, Titian, Rubens, and Bosch at the Prado, and Picasso’s “Guernica” at the Reina Sofia. Our hotel, located in the heart of the city, is walking distance from the best flamenco, tapas, churros, paella, and jamón ibérico in Madrid.
From Madrid we travel north to explore the Basque Country from our hotel in San Sebastian. Located on the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay, this small, cosy and readily walkable city has one of the best in-city beaches in Europe, the best tapas in Spain (in other words the best food in the world) and is close enough for a day trip to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim and the Seven Streets.
Day City Overview
1 Airborne Meet your Program Director at the airport for an overnight flight to Spain!
2 MadridArrive in Madrid and navigate to the hotel using public transportation. Explore the city around Plaza Mayor and El Rastro, then tour the Palacio Real. Watch the sunset from Jardines de las Vistillas.
3 Madrid Climb to the cupola of the Cathedral de la Almedena for a panoramic view of Madrid. Enjoy a professionally guided walking tour of the city, and then grab lunch at Mercado de San Miguel. Enjoy a late-afternoon visit to the Museo del Prado. Stroll to Parque de la Montaña along Gran Via and catch the sunset at Templo de Debod.
4 El Escorial Travel to the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama to tour El Escorial, then return to Madrid and see Estadio Bernabeu, home of the Real Madrid soccer team. See the works of Picasso and Dali at the Museo Reina Sofia.
5 San Sebastian Early morning flight to the Basque Country. Mount Igeldo Funicular, Bahía de la Concha, Chateau de la Mota, Pintxos Bar Crawl.
6 Bilbao Day trip to Bilbao! Urban Regeneration Walking Tour, Guggenheim Museum and Las Siete Calles.
7 San Sebastian Mirimar Royal Palace, Old Town, Aquarium, Maritime Museum, Kursaal, Beach, Sunset.
8 Airborne Flight Home. ¡Adiós España!