DAY 1 BARCELONA
Transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, guided tour to familiarize yourself with the town, walking for the Gothic quarter full of buildings of the twelfth and sixteenth centuries, and visit inside the Cathedral. Followed by a visit of the district ‘Eixample’, where there are the main modernist buildings and the famous Sagrada Familia. To complete the tour, walking trough the famous “Ramblas”, a street full of life, bars, cafes, restaurants and street performers. Dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 2 BARCELONA-PENEDES-SITGES-BARCELONA
Breakfast, dinner and overnight at hotel. Full day guided excursion to the nearby wine region of PENEDES (about 60 kms), which is the largest sparkling wine region (=champagne, in Spanish ‘cava’) in the whole world. We will visit one of the most famous vineyards, ‘Codorniu’, they have the largest subterranean wine cellar in the world (more than 30 kms !!). We will visit , a partly of it, it in a little train We will also visit the famous wine cellar of ‘Torres. In the afternoon.. SITGES we will follow to this beautiful seaside village, residence of many famous worldwide painters due to the amazing light. Return to hotel
DAY 3 BARCELONA-MONTBLANC-POBLET-LOGROÑO
Breakfast at hotel. MONTBLANC We suggest to walk around this little walled town, with plenty of pretty gothic buildings. There is the curious little Wine Museum Prenafeta, where we can see all the elements used in the traditional family wine process. POBLET The most important middle age monastery in the Catalonian region, it was like little village itself. They had a big influence in the culture of the region. LOGROÑO (The capital of Rioja region) Dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 4 LOGROÑO-HARO-LAGUARDIA-LABASTIDA-LOGRONO
Breakfast, dinner and overnight at hotel. Today we will visit the Rioja wine ‘world’. All in this region is in relation with the Rioja wine… We start in the morning with the area called ‘High Rioja’, and its main village: HARO Here we will visit the Museum of the Wine, and The Technical Institute of the Wine. LAGUARDIA we can visit Villa Lucia complex dedicated to wine (possible to arrange tasting and technical talks). Afternoon, we will go to LABASTIDA little village which whole economy are in relation with Rioja wine. We will visit the wine cellar of ‘Nuestra Señora de Remelluri’ (little familiar producer but very nice)
DAY 5 LOGROÑO-STO. DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA-SAN MILLAN DE LA COGOLLA-LOGROÑO
Breakfast, dinner and overnight at hotel. In the morning visit of other wine cellars. Excursion to STO. DOMINGO CALZADA. An important stop in the ‘St. JamesPathway” and S. MILLAN COGOLLA where the monasteries of Yuso and Suso are -which are considered the ‘birthplace of The Spanish’ language, it is also an architecture masterpiece. Return to hotel.
DAY 6 LOGROÑO-ZARAGOZA
Breakfast at hotel. ZARAGOZA Stop for walk in the Pilar Square, where the local citizens congregate for important events, and where there are the main monuments: Pilar Basilic, Seo, XVIth cent. Lonja (old market),… Afternoon guided city tour (Basilic of Pilar, Palacio Aljaferia). Dinner and overnight at hotel.
DAY 7 ZARAGOZA-BARCELONA
Breakfast at hotel. BARCELONA Airport (300 kms, and about 3 hrs 30 minutes).
Other itinerary suggestion:
– In case of departure flights before 13’00 hrs, Day 6th overnight would be nearer to Barcelona airport (Lleida or same airport area, etc)
– This Itinerary also available with slight modifications with arrival and departure Madrid airport or Bilbao Airport
– Day 2 visit of wine cellar can be combined with Montserrat Monastery instead of Sitges
– Barcelona would be worthy of one day more, in case you would have it.