ALUMNI COLLEGE IN SPAIN: BARCELONA AND SAN SEBASTIAN ITINERARY

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1
Depart your gateway city for Barcelona, Spain. (Flight provided for Air-Inclusive participants only.)

Day 2
Upon arrival, transfer to the Cristal Palace Hotel. (Transfer provided for Air-Inclusive participants only.)

This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a Welcome Reception and Dinner.

Day 3
Educational Focus: The History of Catalonia and Barcelona.

Excursion: Highlights of Barcelona. See the medieval Barri Gòtic. Visit the Town Hall, La Seu Catedral, the Royal Palace and the Montjuic fortress.

Day 4
Educational Focus and Excursion: Gaudí’s Barcelona – A Monumental Vision. See Antoni Gaudí’s impressive Modernist architecture, including Parc Güell, Casa Batlló and La Sagrada Família.

Day 5
Independent Exploration: The day is yours in Barcelona for sightseeing and shopping.

Day 6
Excursion: Penedès Wine Region and Montserrat. Visit Codorníu, the first and largest producer of Cava, the region’s sparkling wine. Sandstone peaks back Monserrat’s Benedictine monastery. Hear the renowned Escolania boys choir.

Local Flavor: Enjoy lunch in Montserrat.

Day 7
Depart Barcelona for San Sebastián.

Excursion: Zaragoza. See the old city, including the Plaza del Pilar, built atop Roman ruins, and the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Local Flavor: Lunch is in a typical regional restaurant.

Upon arrival in San Sebastián, check into the Hotel Costa Vasca.

Day 8
Educational Focus: A History of Northern Spain.

Excursion: Highlights of San Sebastián. Survey the bay from the Palacio de Miramar and explore the Old Quarter with its elegant Town Hall and neo-Gothic Cathedral de Buen Pastor.

Local Flavor: Enjoy lunch in a Basque restaurant.

Independent Exploration: The afternoon is at your leisure.

Day 9
Excursion: Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum. Architect Frank Gehry’s titanium-and-glass masterpiece shows 20th-century work, including pieces by Picasso, Miró and Dalí.

Local Flavor: Enjoy lunch in Bilbao.

Educational Focus: Meet the People.

Day 10
Educational Focus: The Romance of Hemingway’s Spain.

Excursion: Pamplona. See the Gothic cathedral and the chapel of San Fermín in this city famous for the Running of the Bulls. Admire archeological finds and art, including the work of Goya.

Local Flavor: Lunch is served at a restaurant in Pamplona.

Day 11
Independent Exploration: Your final day in San Sebastián is free so you can pursue your own interests.

Tonight, attend a Farewell Reception and Dinner.

Day 12
Transfer to the Bilbao airport for the return flight to your gateway city. (Transfer and flight provided for Air-Inclusive participants only.)