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Treat your tastebuds to some of the world’s best food and wine.
Miles of coastline offering instant access to fresh, succulent seafood. Rural farms where cheesemaking is a sacred, time-honored tradition. Rolling vineyards where crisp, sparkling whites and velvety, full-bodied reds are born. This is Northern Spain, a paradise for travelers in search of the world’s best food and wine. On this tour designed in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen, you’ll find exactly that, and more. Spend your days exploring bustling food markets alongside local guides, learning the art of Spanish cooking under the watchful eye of esteemed Spanish chefs, and savoring artful dishes dreamed up by the culinary world’s most imaginative minds.
Your tour package includes
10 nights in handpicked hotels
10 breakfasts
6 lunches with beer or wine
3 dinners with beer or wine
3 wine tastings
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Included highlights
La Sagrada Família
San Antoni neighborhood
Spanish vermouth tasting
Logroño tapas tour
Cava and Rioja wine tastings
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Start planning today
An expert specializing in tours of this region is here to help.
Welcome to Spain! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a welcome dinner featuring dishes and wines that are typical of the Catalonia region.
Day 3: Sightseeing tour of Barcelona & Cava wine tasting
Included meals: Breakfast, Liquor tasting, Wine tasting
Get to know Catalonia’s capital on a guided sightseeing tour this morning.
Step inside the towering La Sagrada Família basilica, one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks and one of the most iconic examples of Antoni Gaudí’s eclectic architectural style
Drive along Passeig de Gràcia, passing Gaudí’s famous and colorful Casa Batlló, or House of Bones
Set off on a walking tour through the San Antoni neighborhood, where you’ll enjoy a tasting of vermouth and Catalonian tapas
This afternoon, travel outside of Barcelona to visit a winery in the Cava region.
Tour the underground cellars and gardens
Enjoy an included Cava tasting, the region’s signature, sparkling wine, paired with local cheeses and meats
Day 4: Cooking class & walking tour of Barcelona
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Try your hand at preparing an authentic Spanish meal during a cooking class.
Tour the Santa Caterina Market in search of fresh ingredients
Pass through the Gothic Quarter as you make your way to a culinary school
Prepare your own lunch of traditional Spanish dishes with the help of a professional chef, and enjoy your meal with a glass of wine
End with an afternoon walk through the Gothic district to Las Ramblas, a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard
La Rioja Countryside3 nights
Day 5: Train ride to Logroño & culinary walk
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Board a train to Logroño, the capital of Spain’s La Rioja region and a city known for its gastronomy. Upon arrival, follow a local guide on a culinary walking tour of the city.
Walk along Calle del Laurel, a bustling street lined with tapas bars and the city’s hub for great food
Stop at several tapas bars to taste local specialties paired with wine
Learn about Spanish cuisine from your expert guide
Please note: Porterage is not included for the train transfers. Travelers must be comfortable lifting and carrying all luggage over steps, onto platforms, and into luggage storage.
Day 6: La Rioja villages & wine tastings
Included meals: Breakfast, Wine tasting, Lunch
Spend the morning exploring the villages of La Rioja region, then head to a winery for a tasting.
Drive through the Ebro River Valley and take in views of the beautiful vineyards and landscape
Enter the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture in Briones to learn about wine history on a self-guided audio tour
In the afternoon, enjoy free time in the quaint, hilltop village of Laguardia, which is known for its medieval architecture and city walls. Then, enjoy a wine tasting and lunch in La Rioja wine region.
Visit the City of Wine complex at the Marqués de Riscal wine cellars
Tour the gorgeous vineyards and view the hotel designed by the innovative architect Frank Gehry
Taste a variety of Spanish Tempranillo wines and traditional tapas, such as Ibérico ham, Idiazábal cheese, and chorizo riojano during a three-course lunch
Day 7: Olive farm visit & Michelin-star dinner
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner
Spend the morning at an olive farm.
Tour olive groves and an olive oil mill
Learn about the olive grove ecosystem and production process
Enjoy a tasting of the farm’s olive oils paired with regional tapas and other homemade products
This evening, head to a Michelin-star restaurant in La Rioja region where you’ll be treated to a three-course dinner featuring local cuisine.
San Sebastián4 nights
Day 8: San Sebastián via Bilbao & pintxos cooking class
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Travel to Bilbao, the largest city and cultural capital of Basque Country. Then, set off on a guided sightseeing tour of the city.
Enter the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, a showplace of modern and contemporary art
Admire the museum’s unique architecture, including its ship-like shape and shimmering, titanium facade, alongside a local guide
Meet a local chef at La Ribera Market in Old Town Bilbao to learn about local ingredients
Learn to make pintxos, or Basque-style tapas, alongside a chef during a cooking class
Savor your creations, along with wine, for lunch
Enjoy free time in Bilbao’s Old Quarter, called Casco Viejo, after lunch
Continue on to San Sebastián.
Day 9: Food walking tour of San Sebastián
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting
Join your local guide for a morning tour of San Sebastián, a culinary capital of Spain where food, wine, history, and coastal scenery meet.
Walk near Playa de la Concha as you make your way to vibrant Constitution Square, in the city’s Historic Quarter
Wander among stalls teeming with fresh fish and seafood at one of the city’s most popular fish markets
Hop from one pintxos bar to the next, enjoying the unique food preparations and atmosphere each spot has to offer
Try Basque specialties, such as Txakoli, a slightly sparkling, dry white wine, and San Sebastián’s famous cheesecake, along the way
Day 10: Vineyard walk, Sheep farm visit & cheesemaking
Included meals: Breakfast, Wine tasting, Lunch, Tasting
Begin your day with an introduction to the Basque region’s traditional wine.
Visit a Txakoli vineyard, where the special, Basque Country sparkling wine is produced
Enjoy a tasting of the vineyard’s wines and learn how its grapes grow on terraced hills that overlook the water
Afterward, head toward the coastal town of Zarautz for an included seafood lunch. Then, continue to the Basque countryside for an afternoon of tasting delicious regional food and wine.
Join the owners of a local sheep farm for a tour of its grounds and production facilities
Learn how Idiazábal cheese, a regional specialty, is made using sheep’s milk during a demonstration
Taste a variety of Idiazábal cheeses paired with local wine or cider
Day 11: Cooking class & cider house dinner
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell dinner, Tasting
Join a local chef for a cooking class, during which you’ll learn to make San Sebastián cuisine. Enjoy the meal you’ve prepared together as a group.
Later, join your fellow travelers at a traditional cider house for tonight’s farewell dinner. Enjoy unlimited cider, served directly from huge barrels called kupelak, and feast on rustic dishes, such as cider-cooked chorizo, salt cod, and chargrilled T-bone steak.
Flight Home
Day 12: Departure
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Transfer to the Bilbao airport for your flight home or continue on to Madrid.
Extension to Madrid
Follow your appetite to Spain’s bustling capital city, which is known for its elegant boulevards, world-class art museums, and, of course, countless excellent restaurants. Get a taste of it all as you explore the city’s underground wine cellars and architectural gems, and one of the country’s busiest and best food markets, alongside your Tour Director.
Madrid3 nights
Day 12: Madrid via Aranda de Duero
Included meals: Breakfast, Wine tasting
Transfer to Aranda de Duero, the capital of the Ribera del Duero region.
Discover the town’s underground, interconnected wine cellars
Enjoy a tasting of the region’s classic Tempranillos paired with tapas and chocolate in the wine cellar
Continue to Madrid and get settled into your hotel.
Day 13: Sightseeing tour of Madrid
Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting
Get an insider’s view of Spain’s bustling capital city with a local guide.
Pass by the Temple of Debod, a reassembled temple from ancient Egypt
View the Royal Palace, Spain’s largest royal residence
Walk through Old Madrid to Plaza Mayor, one of the city’s main squares
Sample wine and tapas at San Miguel Market, whose 30 stalls offer foods from all over Spain
Explore the Prado, a world-class art museum that began as the private collection of the Spanish monarchy and is home to works by Goya, Velásquez, and other major artists
Day 14: Free day in Madrid
Included meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner
Spend a free day in Madrid or add an excursion.
This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.
Toledo
From $129 per person
Flight Home
Day 15: Departure
Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
This was an intimate tour with a very special group of interesting, knowledgeable and truly funny people. I enjoyed the whole experience. Best Ef tour yet!! I wish America’s test kitchen would have sent a person just 1 day or recipes or some tangible involvement. Our tour guide was superb and adde...
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5.0 star rating
Totally enjoyed
4/21/23 by 1st-time traveler Anonymous
Our tour guide, Leonor, was the kindest, funniest, most knowledgeable, and all around amazing person. She helped make this trip enjoyable. Fellow travelers were all lovely people, who were easy to be around. Accommodations were very good — clean and safe hotels that offered good customer service and...
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EF Go Ahead Tours replied on 5/19/23
Thank you for your review! We are so sorry to hear...
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Hotels, flights & FAQ
Here's the nitty-gritty—where you’ll stay, how you’ll get there, and what to know about your destination before you go.
Hotels
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
H10 Marina Barcelona
This seaside hotel is located in the El Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona. Guests enjoy the rooftop pool, spa, and fitness center. Nearby you'll find...
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Eurostars Los Agustinos
This charming hotel is located in the town of Haro in La Rioja region. Guests enjoy comfortable rooms, an on-site restaurant featuring traditional Rio...
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Hotel Catalonia Donosti
This chic hotel is located in the Donosti neighborhood of San Sebastián. Guests enjoy the rooftop pool and terrace, fitness center, and spa. Nearby yo...
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Hotel Mayorazgo
This chic hotel is located a short walk away from Madrid’s Plaza España. Guests enjoy individually styled rooms, an outdoor terrace, and on-site coffe...
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Flights
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare package and you'll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
In order to enter Spain, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2024, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2024, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact your destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirementsand searching the code ATS.
You will walk for at least 2 hours daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with some hills.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own luggage at times, as well as getting in and out of trains.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Barcelona and depart from Bilbao (or Madrid on the tour extension). A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
A train ride from Barcelona to Logroño is included in the price of your tour.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one personal item per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
Porterage is not included for the train transfers. Travelers must be comfortable lifting and carrying all luggage over steps, onto platforms, and into luggage storage. The storage space on the train is extremely limited, so we recommended traveling with only one suitcase per person (and a personal item such, as a backpack or purse).
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you take daily medication, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies, please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirementsand searching the code ATS.
In Spain, enjoy breakfast like a local with just a pastry and coffee. Then, tuck into a three-course lunch featuring a Spanish staple, like savory seafood paella or grilled meat and fried potatoes. Dinner is less hearty than lunch and is served late, between 9pm and midnight. Snack on small plates called tapas any time of day.
Spain produces a wide variety of both white and red wines throughout its many regions, such as sparkling white wine in the Cava region and the full-bodied red Tempranillo in Rioja.
Catalan cuisine, which can be found in Barcelona, is markedly different from food in other parts of Spain. Nearly every restaurant will offer pa amb tomàquet—toasted bread with tomato and olive oil. Fresh seafood, hearty meat dishes, cheeses, and locally grown vegetables, such as wild mushrooms, are culinary mainstays.
Pintxos, small snacks that are usually spiked with a toothpick to a piece of bread, are an especially popular sort of tapas in the Basque Country.
Spain operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $8USD to $10USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
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