Experience the fine food, culture and history of Catalonia on this luxury 10 day trip to Barcelona and the Costa Brava

Personalised journeys from start to finish

Every trip helps support Conservation

Every detail taken care of

  • Personalised journeys from start to finish

  • Every trip helps support Conservation

  • Every detail taken care of

What's included

  • Private and exclusive culinary and cultural tours
  • Luxury accommodation throughout
  • Private transfers
  • Full support from your Travel Concierge before, during and after your trip
Use this itinerary to inspire your bespoke journey

At a glance

A luxury ten-day trip to Spain’s north-eastern corner to imbibe the unique traditions, incredible cuisine and proudly distinct culture of Catalonia.

Start with five nights in Catalonia’s heart, the vibrant city of Barcelona, one of the most charismatic places to explore in Europe. Begin your introduction to the city – and to Catalan cuisine – with a food loving local who will show you around her favourite markets, patisseries, cafes, and speciality cheese and wine stores, tasting all manner of local specialities and foods emblematic of the region.

Next, learn about Barcelona’s beautiful and often eccentric Modernist architecture, a movement that flourished under Gaudí between 1888 and 1906 with iconic buildings such as Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia leaving an indelible mark on the city’s character. Later on, an expert guide will show you around the latest and best contemporary art exhibitions, studios, galleries and institutions, learning first-hand about Barcelona’s ever-vibrant creative scene from local artists and collectors.

Get further under the skin of the city with a cycling tour around the ‘real’ parts of town away from the tourist crowds, fuelled by numerous pit stops for tapas en route. You’ll also head to the spectacularly perched monastery at Montserrat and sample the region’s fine wines and cavas on a tour around some of our favourite vineyards in Penedès.

For the next four nights, depart the city for the dramatic coastline of the Costa Brava. See the rustic fishing towns and villages that inspired Dali and visit his museum in Figueres, the building itself being the largest surrealistic object in the world. Walk the medieval streets of quaint Girona, learn the secrets of Catalan cooking at the home of a Cordon Bleu Paris trained chef and spend a well-earned final day relaxing on the beach, thoroughly nourished culinarily and culturally.

Example trip itinerary

Days 1-6

Barcelona

Flights & transfers

Transfer

Meet and greet

Transfer

Private transfer to your hotel in Barcelona

Accommodation in Barcelona

Five nights in Barcelona Five nights in Barcelona

In Spain’s northwestern corner sits the proudly independent comunidad autónoma of Catalonia, with the charismatic city of Barcelona as its capital.

One of Europe’s greatest cities, Barcelona has a rich history with iconic architectural treasures dating from Roman temples to winding gothic streets, with Gaudi’s uniquely playful modernism cut with stark millennial flashes of glass and steel. There is a tangibly buzzing culture in the streets and squares, an inspiration for some of the 20th century’s greatest artists and writers, that makes exploring tucked away bars, cafes, restaurants, museums and galleries endlessly captivating.

la-boqueria-barcelona-spain
Barcelona gourmet walking tour Barcelona gourmet walking tour

Your host for today will gastronomic writer and passionate foodie Regina Rodriguez Sirvent, who has spent a decade immersed in Spain's food and wine culture.

This gastronomic experience takes you through Barcelona’s most emblematic food. Start the tour at La Boqueria, the most symbolic market in the city. At the market, learn about local products like Iberian hams, cured sausages, olives or chocolates, and see some rare products such as swan eggs. There, you will also visit a shop to taste a great variety of products along with a local wine. Afterwards, stop at patisseries, cafes, and speciality cheese and wine stores.

Barcelona Gaudí tour Barcelona Gaudí tour

Barcelona is known for its beautiful and often eccentric architecture, and on this tour you will learn about Catalan Modernism that flourished between 1888 and 1906. Discover some of Gaudí’s most famous works including the bright mosaics of Güell Park and La Sagrada Familia which, although not finished, is considered his masterpiece and is a real feat of engineering incorporating stone, brick, tiles and glass.

Depending on the length of your tour, you'll also visit the otherworldly Casa Batllò, and Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera (stone quarry), an exhibition space and the last of Gaudí's civic works.

Modern and contemporary art gallery tour Modern and contemporary art gallery tour

Feel the pulse of Barcelona´s creative art scene by visiting some of the most significant sites such as artistic institutions, landmarks, architecture, theaters, art auctions, galleries, studios, as well as many unexpected buildings with an expert local guide. You will also have the chance of meeting some art collectors, gallery owners, local artists and other contemporary Spanish art players.

Bike tour of Barcelona with tapas Bike tour of Barcelona with tapas

Hop on two wheels and enjoy exploring some of the less well-known areas of the city. Your bike tour takes you off the beaten path and allows you to see the real Barcelona. Wind your way through the streets and squares, visiting the districts of San Antoni, Eixample and Gràcia, passing the Plaça de Espanya, Casa Terrades and Barcelona University. In each district you will stop to visit the market and enjoy some tapas.

Tour of the Penedès wine region Tour of the Penedès wine region

Some of the world’s finest wines and cava are produced in the Penedès region of Catalonia, located between the plains of the Mediterranean coast and the mountains. You’ll visit the Can Ràfols del Caus winery which has its own cellar carved out of the Dolomitic limestone, totally invisible from above ground. Enjoy a wine tasting and a tapas lunch with cava.

Tour of Montserrat monastery Tour of Montserrat monastery

Montserrat translates as 'saw mountain', a reference to its many jagged peaks. Its history dates back to 880 when a small group of shepherd children saw a bright light descend from the sky in the Montserrat Mountains. At the same time, they heard angels singing and when the town explored the nearby caves they found an image of the Virgin Mary. From that moment it became a holy sanctuary.

Enjoy exploring the Benedictine monastery, with its statue of the Black Madonna - patron saint of Catalonia, and the museum. The Escolania boy's choir perform most days and is a real highlight - performance times may vary. The highest peak is San Jerónimo at 3,400 feet and offers spectacular bird's-eye-views of the surroundings.

Tour of Tarragona Tour of Tarragona

Tarragona is home to the Tarraco Archaeological Site, filled with impressive Roman ruins including an amphitheatre perched on the rocky coast. The historic centre of the city unfolds between the old city walls and Mediterranean sea and it is easy to see why this was considered the most elegant and cultured city of Roman Spain.

Days 6-10

Costa Brava

Flights & transfers

Transfer

Private transfer to your hotel on the Costa Brava

Accommodation in Costa Brava

Four nights on the Costa Brava Four nights on the Costa Brava

Aptly named, the Costa Brava, meaning rugged coast, stretches up Catalonia to the French border, with wild pine covered cliffs hiding secluded sandy beaches and bays, punctuated by fishing towns such as the beautiful Cadaques, Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell, and scenic Greek, Roman and Iberian archaeological sites. Of course the food is also fantastic, Catalonia hosting a number of Michelin starred restaurants, and there are a profusion of superb, locally produced wines.

The Dali Theatre and Museum, Figueres, Spain
Salvador Dali excursion: Cadaques, Port Lligat and Figueras Salvador Dali excursion: Cadaques, Port Lligat and Figueras

The last resort on the Costa Brava before the French border, Cadaques is a pretty Mediterranean town that looks out over fishing boats bobbing on the bright blue sea. It is filled with old whitewashed houses and a 16th-century parish up on a hill. Visit Port Lligat, a fishing village where Dalí and his family enjoyed their holidays and whose windswept lunar landscapes inspired his work. Figueres is the beautiful town where the Dalí Theatre and Museum is located. The museum itself is the largest surrealistic object in the world, built by Dali over the ruins of a 19th century theatre destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War.

Walking tour of Girona Walking tour of Girona

The old centre of Girona has preserved the remains of its long history. Take a private guided walking tour to see its imposing Gothic cathedral, which contain a textile jewel, the medieval Creation Tapestry. You'll also stroll through El Call, the old Jewish quarter, and see the Arab baths.

Spanish cooking lesson with Chef Pilar Latorre Spanish cooking lesson with Chef Pilar Latorre

Chef Pilar Latorre will welcome you into her wonderful home where you can attend a professional cooking class in her atelier. Born in Barcelona, she is known in Spanish culinary circles for her Mediterranean cuisine, but also for her French and Asian specialties to which she adds always a creative touch. Pilar studied at the prestigious Cordon Bleu School in Paris and has developed convivial relationships with the top Spanish Chefs such as Ferran Adria? of El Bulli and Juan Mari? Arzak, picking up many of their secrets in the kitchen.

The cooking lesson event will last between 3 and 4 hours and you will prepare four courses - an appetiser, first course, main meat course and a dessert. Then enjoy your meal in her dining room accompanied by Spanish cava and wine will be served.

Flights & transfers

Transfer

Private transfer to Barcelona airport

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