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Discover diverse landscapes, delicious food, and provinces bursting with personality.
Travelers who venture to northern Spain will discover well-preserved medieval villages, postcard-perfect mountains and beaches, and some of the best food the country has to offer. On this tour of the region, you’ll explore historical, cultural, and culinary treasures in Bilbao, San Sebastián, Santander, Oviedo, and Santiago de Compostela. Then, head south, to the Castilla and Leon region, where you’ll explore Salamanca’s 13th-century university and marvel at Segovia’s imposing Roman aqueduct before making your final stop in bustling, cosmopolitan Madrid.
Your tour package includes
- 10 nights in handpicked hotels
- 10 breakfasts
- 4 dinners with beer or wine
- 1 cider tasting
- 1 food tasting
Included highlights
- Guggenheim Museum
- San Sebastián
- Altamira Cave Museum
- Oviedo Cathedral
- Asturias cheese tasting

An expert specializing in tours of this region is here to help.
Day-by-day itinerary
Print itinerary
Board your overnight flight to Bilbao today.
Welcome to Spain! Arrive in Bilbao, an industrial port city in the Basque Country that’s home to the iconic, Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, as well as a world-renowned dining scene. Get to know your Tour Director and fellow group members at tonight’s welcome dinner.
Set off on a guided sightseeing tour of the port city of Bilbao with your Tour Director.
- Admire the architecture in Bilbao’s Old Quarter, known as Casco Viejo
- Enter the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, a showplace of modern and contemporary art, and admire the unique architecture alongside a local guide
Spend a free afternoon in the city or add an excursion.

Guernica, the Basque Coast & Pintxos Dinner
From $125 per person
En route to the beautiful coastal city of Santander, join a local guide for a walking tour of San Sebastián, a town considered by many to be the culinary capital of Spain.
- Pass by Playa de la Concha and make your way through the Old Quarter
- Wander through the city’s main square, Plaza de la Constitución, a site that previously played host to bullfights
- Take a moment to gaze up at the balconies of the buildings surrounding the square; they once served as box seating for bullfights held in the plaza below
- Walk through the city’s fish market to see a variety of fresh, local catches on display
- Learn from your local guide where in town to go pintxos-hopping and how to make the most of this regional dining experience
- Enjoy free time to explore and to grab a bite to eat
Continue on to the coastal city of Santander, the capital of Spain’s Cantabria province. Enjoy a walking tour through the city’s center and past historic landmarks, such as the Cathedral of Santander and the Plaza Porticada.
Enjoy a free day in Santander or add an excursion.

Picos de Europa
From $155 per person
Head toward Oviedo, stopping to take in some of Spain’s impressive historical sites.
- Take a guided tour of the Altamira National Museum and Research Centre, which houses an exact replica of the Altamira Caves and the Paleolithic cave paintings that revolutionized archaeology when Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola discovered them in 1879
- Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the well-preserved medieval village of Santillana del Mar
- View the 11th-century Collegiate Church before enjoying free time
Then, continue on to Oviedo—capital of Spain’s Asturias province and home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites—and take in its highlights on a walking tour with a local guide.
- Make your way through the Gothic Quarter and enter the Roman Catholic Oviedo Cathedral, an important pilgrimage site along the Camino del Norte route
- Sample some local Asturias cheese to cap off your tour
This evening, tour a cider house and learn about the cider production process from a staffer. Afterward, sample hard ciders, including some straight out of the barrel. Then, sit down for an included dinner at the cider house.
En route to Santiago de Compostela, stop in the city of Lugo to explore its massive, UNESCO-listed Roman walls, which date back to the third century.
Continue along your way, and stop at the hilltop viewpoint known as Monte Viso to enjoy panoramic vistas of the Santiago de Compostela skyline.
Walk through Santiago de Compostela, a town that once ranked just behind Jerusalem and Rome as one of Christendom’s most important pilgrimage sites.
- Stroll along the ancient city’s narrow streets and stop at Parque de la Alameda
- Enter the Gothic Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, which marks the end of the Way of St. James
Enjoy free time in Santiago de Compostela or add an excursion.

Rías Baixas Cruise & Galician Lunch
From $155 per person
Travel to the Castile and León region today to explore Salamanca, a city known for its ornate, sandstone architecture and its 13th-century university. Then, enjoy free time for the rest of the day or add an excursion.
Enjoy an included dinner with your group this evening in Salamanca.
Get to know UNESCO-listed Salamanca, whose yellow-toned, sandstone buildings earned it the nickname the Golden City, on a guided tour this morning.
- Explore Salamanca’s historic city center
- Walk through Plaza Mayor as you make your way to Las Torres de la Clerecía, and to the Gothic-style, 15th-century Casa de las Conchas, whose facade features more than 300 carvings of scallop shells
- Explore the 13th-century University of Salamanca, including the Escuelas Menores courtyard, the “Salamanca Sky” (or “Cielo de Salamanca”) mural, the Escuelas Mayores main building, and the Arzobispo Fonseca School
- View Anaya Palace and the city’s new and old cathedrals
Spend a free afternoon in Salamanca or add an excursion.

Salamanca Food & Wine Tasting Tour
From $139 per person
Make your way to Madrid, stopping first at a scenic viewpoint to snap photos of the Medieval Walls of Ávila, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Afterward, take a short ride to Segovia and join a local guide for a walking tour of the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to a towering, well-preserved Roman aqueduct.
- Explore the aqueduct, which was built in the first century A.D. and supplied water from the Frío River to the city into the 20th century
- Visit Segovia’s Gothic-style, Roman Catholic cathedral, and the adjacent Plaza Mayor
- Enter the Alcázar, the fairy-tale castle on the far end of the Old City
- Spend some time exploring the city on your own, perhaps by trying its famous roast suckling pig
Continue on to Madrid and celebrate your trip with your fellow travelers at tonight’s farewell dinner.
Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to explore Madrid.
Get acquainted with Spain’s cosmopolitan capital city with the help of a local guide.
- View the Royal Palace, Spain’s largest royal residence
- Pass by the Temple of Debod, a reassembled temple from ancient Egypt
- View the city’s many squares, including Plaza Colón and Plaza Neptune
- Explore the Prado, a world-class art museum that began as the private collection of the Spanish monarchy and is home to the works of Goya, Velásquez, and more
Enjoy a free day in Madrid or add an excursion.
Tonight, enjoy a farewell drink as you celebrate your trip with your fellow group members.

Toledo
From $129 per person
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
We make it easy with down payments as low as $99, fee-free booking, and more
Reviews
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.
This contemporary hotel is located in Bilbao, Spain’s business district. Guests enjoy the gym, spa and wellness center, and tapas bar. Nearby you’ll f...

This unique hotel is set in a former cinema in the Santander. Guests enjoy the fitness center, on-site cafe, and overall charm of the building. Nearby...

This classic style hotel is located just a walk away from Oviedo's Old Town. Guests enjoy the on-site bar, free Wi-Fi, and the 24-hour concierge. Near...

This modern hotel housed in a historic building is located in Santiago de Compostela's Plaza de Galicia. Guests enjoy the on-site restaurant, bar and ...

This contemporary hotel is located in Salamanca's historic centre. Guests enjoy the sun terrace, on-site coffee house, and restaurant. Nearby you'll f...
This industrial-inspired hotel is located close to Paseo de la Castellana in the business district of Madrid. Guests enjoy a restaurant, lobby bar, an...
Flights
- 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
- Find out more about flights
FAQ
Print FAQ- 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.
- No visa is required for U.S. or Canadian citizens.
- 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-requirements and searching the code NSP.
- You will walk for at least two 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.
- 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 Bilbao and depart from Madrid. 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.
- 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 carry-on bag 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.
- 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-requirements and searching the code NSP.
- In Northern Spain, enjoy breakfast like a local with just a pastry and coffee. Then, tuck into a three-course lunch featuring freshly caught seafood and other regional staples. Dinner is less hearty than lunch and is typically served late, between 9pm and midnight.
- In Basque Country, pintxos—small, tapas-style snacks that are usually spiked with a toothpick to a piece of bread—are especially popular.
- Spain produces a wide variety of both white and red wines throughout its many regions. Northern Spain’s Rías Baixas region is renowned for its white wines, which are made from Albariño grapes.
- 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.
- You will use the euro on this tour.
- 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.
- Tips can only be paid in cash.
- Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
- Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
- Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
- Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.