Spanish Capitals

  • 9 Days
  • Classic Trip
  • Most Popular V2 Created with Sketch. Most Popular

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a tour to your unique needs

Spanish Capitals Get Started

Map & Route

Depart

Overnight Flight

1 1 Night

Madrid

4 4 Nights

Barcelona

3 3 Nights
Return
map Spanish Capitals

What's Included

Our itineraries reflect 40 years of experience in crafting exceptional educational tours. That means we know exactly how to make the best of your time abroad—incredible destinations, immersive activities, centrally located hotels, and smart, well-traveled tour managers who ensure your educational goals are met. Here are some of the exceptional features of this tour.

ACIS Guarantees

We have high standards, which is why we take care to include these features in every tour.

Round-Trip Flights

Leave the airlines to us.

3- or 4-Star Hotels

After a busy day, comfort is key.

Centrally Located Hotels

Save the commuting time, beat the morning crowds and keep right on exploring after dark when your hotel is in the heart of the city.

Daily Breakfast and Dinner (unless otherwise noted)

Delicious, authentic, multi-course dinners at local restaurants with meal times tailored to maximize your experience.

24-Hour Tour Manager

Part guide, part educator, part engineer, part mind-reader, part magician—ACIS Tour Managers are your travel partner.

Start Exploring

Never wait hours at the airport to share a transfer with other later groups.

Service Guarantee

We're so sure you're going to love your tour, we guarantee it!

Global Network

24/7 on the ground support whenever and wherever you need it.

All Local Transportation

Urban transportation is on us, allowing you to explore each destination with ease.

Personal Headsets Included Throughout Tour

Participants will have unlimited access to personal headsets so that local guides and ACIS Tour Managers can more easily communicate with the group along the way.

Exceptional Experiences

Our tours are designed to help you and your students be in the moment and experience everything the world has to offer.

Bull Ranch Visit, Bullfighting Demonstration and Lunch

Bull Ranch Visit, Bullfighting Demonstration and Lunch

Visit an authentic working bull ranch in the countryside outside Madrid to learn about the art of bullfighting at its source. Tour the ranch, learn how the bulls are raised and then experience this legendary part of Spain's culture yourself with bullfighting lessons using fake horns. After you safely learn the techniques needed to stay alive, a trained professional Matador gives an exciting demonstration of the art form with a real baby bull (who returns happily unscathed to the pastures post demonstration). While you're at the ganadería, you'll also enjoy a rustic lunch.

Learn More

Visit an authentic working bull ranch in the countryside outside Madrid to learn about the art of bullfighting at its source. Tour the ranch, learn how the bulls are raised and then experience this legendary part of Spain's culture yourself with bullfighting lessons using fake horns. After you safely learn the techniques needed to stay alive, a trained professional Matador gives an exciting demonstration of the art form with a real baby bull (who returns happily unscathed to the pastures post demonstration). While you're at the ganadería, you'll also enjoy a rustic lunch.

Barcelona by Bike

Barcelona by Bike

Lace up your sneakers and hop aboard a bike for a panoramic tour of Barcelona on two wheels. Sightseeing by bicycle is a fun way to get close to the city's most famous cultural attractions—whether that means locals conversing near the lovely lake and Gaudí-designed fountains of beautiful Ciutadella Park, or the Olympic Port area and beachfront with fabulous views out over the Mediterranean.
Bicycle helmets are available and encouraged for use by all participants.

Learn More

Lace up your sneakers and hop aboard a bike for a panoramic tour of Barcelona on two wheels. Sightseeing by bicycle is a fun way to get close to the city's most famous cultural attractions—whether that means locals conversing near the lovely lake and Gaudí-designed fountains of beautiful Ciutadella Park, or the Olympic Port area and beachfront with fabulous views out over the Mediterranean.
Bicycle helmets are available and encouraged for use by all participants.

Madrid Tour with Guide

Madrid Tour with Guide

Prado Museum with Guide and Reservation

Prado Museum with Guide and Reservation

El Escorial with Guide

El Escorial with Guide

Segovia Alcázar

Segovia Alcázar

Paella Dinner

Paella Dinner

Toledo Tour with Guide

Toledo Tour with Guide

Toledo Gothic Cathedral, Synagogue, Church of Santo Tomé

Toledo Gothic Cathedral, Synagogue, Church of Santo Tomé

Madrid-Barcelona AVE

Madrid-Barcelona AVE

Barcelona Tour with Guide

Barcelona Tour with Guide

Parc Güell with Guide and Reservation

Parc Güell with Guide and Reservation

Sagrada Familia with Guide and Reservation

Sagrada Familia with Guide and Reservation

Video

Spain

Featured in this video

Itinerary

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Overnight Flight

Depart from the USA.

Day 2: Madrid

Arrive in Madrid, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain, meet your ACIS Tour Manager and begin exploring. You may want to start by sampling tapas at the little mesones in the Plaza Mayor.

Day 3: Madrid

Madrid's rich heritage comes alive on your guided sightseeing tour of classic Spanish boulevards, grand plazas, and the diverse architecture of modern-day Madrid. Highlights include the Plaza de España with its statue of Don Quixote, the majestic Alcalá Gate, and the famous bullring Las Ventas. Then visit the magnificent Prado (skipping the lines with a timed reservation), one of the world's premier art museums. Here, an expert provides illuminating commentary on the artwork of Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch. Even the 18th-century Neo-Classical building that houses the collection is stunning. In the afternoon participate in a legendary part of Spain's culture with a visit to a local bull ranch, where you will get a first-hand look at how famed Spanish bulls are bred. Explore the ranch, participate in a bullfighting lesson and then enjoy a demonstration of Matador skills with a real bull (no animals are harmed throughout our lesson). Lunch at the ranch is included today instead of dinner. Spend the latter part of the day rambling the Barrio des las Letras, home to the writers of Spain’s literary Golden Age.

Day 4: Madrid

In the morning journey to the palace monastery of El Escorial for guided visit. Built by King Philip II to honor San Lorenzo after he defeated the French in 1557, its immense size and elaborate decoration emphasize its importance to Spanish history. Then drive on to ancient Segovia, where a walking tour with your tour manager will show you its impressive 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct and dreamlike Alcázar. Back in Madrid this evening you can enjoy the traditional Spanish meal of paella—a spicy tango of rice, seafood and vegetables considered by many as Spain's national dish.

Day 5: Madrid

Experience the essence of medieval Spain on your excursion to Toledo. With a local guide providing commentary, walk the winding streets to the Gothic Cathedral, the Medieval Synagogue and El Greco's great painting in the Church of Santo Tomé. Lunch is included today instead of dinner—served with a side of stunning panoramic views over the city. Return to Madrid for the evening and perhaps shop in the Mercado San Miguel or stroll past the illuminated Royal Palace.

Day 6: Barcelona

Whiz through the Spanish countryside aboard the high-speed AVE train to Catalonia's capital city, Barcelona. Founded by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, it’s known for its artistic treasures and fine architecture from Gothic to Modernist. Upon arrival, explore Ciutadella Park and the Olympic Port on a guided Barcelona by bike tour. Take a walk down La Rambla this evening and experience the brightly lit, bustling atmosphere of Plaça de Catalunya.

Day 7: Barcelona

Begin your day with a panoramic sightseeing tour. Our local expert will point out, via personal headsets, all the major highlights of Barcelona, including the unique Gaudí-designed houses. Antoni Gaudí, one of Catalonia's most famous sons, was a Modernist architect whose distinctive style is revered to this day. After, you'll be able to study the intricate design inside and out of his still-unfinished Sagrada Familia and stroll whimsical Parc Güell. We have the afternoon to wander the narrow cobbled streets, peaceful squares and towering old buildings that characterize Barri Gòtic (the city's Gothic Quarter) which was at times home to both Picasso and Joan Miró. In the afternoon, you may also opt to learn about Barcelona's famed football club with a tour of Nou Camp Stadium.

Day 8: Barcelona

Take an optional full-day excursion along the Costa Brava featuring a visit to the Salvador Dalí museum in Figueres. Alternatively, enjoy a day to explore more of the sights in Barcelona—perhaps discovering your favorite piece at the Picasso Museum or practicing your Spanish while mingling with locals in the popular city square of Plaça Reial or engaging all your senses at the world famous La Boqueria food market. Whatever you decide, memories of your time in Spain will travel home with you.

Day 9: Departure

Depart for the USA.

Price This Tour

Price This Tour

Optional Extras

Ultimate-Plus Protection Plan

Most Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $450

Add to Tour

Ultimate Protection Plan

Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $315

Add to Tour

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