Sustainability in Spain

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

Welcome to Madrid! Arrive in this cultural center, meet your ACIS Tour Manager and start to explore. Unlimited public transport is included throughout your tour for easy and environmentally conscious travel around these iconic cities.

Day 3: Madrid

Madrid's rich heritage comes alive on a guided morning walking tour that showcases classic Spanish boulevards, grand plazas and the diverse architecture of modern-day Madrid. Highlights include the Teatro Real Opera House, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Neptune Fountain. You'll also go inside the magnificent Prado (skipping the lines with a timed reservation), one of the world's premier art museums. Here an expert will provide illuminating commentary about the artwork of Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens and Bosch. Even the 18th-century neo-classical building that houses the collection is stunning. Next visit the Mercado San Miguel, one of the city’s oldest markets that’s chock-full of fine produce and regional specialties. After time to find lunch there, this afternoon’s highlight is a street art workshop in Lavapiés, a trendy, multicultural neighborhood that you’ll view through the prism of its urban art and graffiti. Start with a walking tour of the steep streets led by a knowledgeable artist-guide who highlights this dynamic cultural scene and explains the messages that lie behind its colorful, thought-provoking murals. End at a nearby park where you’ll test your artistic mettle with a hands-on experience: creating your own stenciled graffiti, using recycled materials and spray paint. Dinner tonight will be at one of Madrid’s sustainable restaurants, focusing on seasonal and organic ingredients.

Day 4: Madrid

This morning visit the dynamic Matadero Madrid. Originally built as a municipal slaughterhouse and livestock market, it is now the Centre of Contemporary Creation and is an excellent example of urban regeneration. A guided tour of the complex provides a knowledgeable perspective of its history. Check out some of the cutting-edge exhibitions in the Immersive Experience Centre or Nave 0/ Nave 17 areas and have time to grab lunch in the Café or Cantina. Then meet your guide for a bike tour of Madrid Río, a delightful urban green space running along the Manzanares River, and Casa de Campo, the city’s largest public park that was once a royal hunting ground. Cycle along the riverbank and into the park at a relaxing pace, enjoying the bridges, architecture, fountains, greenery and a panoramic view of Madrid. This evening tuck into a typical tapas dinner.

Day 5: Madrid

Today an excursion brings you north of Madrid to a family-run bee farm for activities such as meeting with the farmer and his animals; learning about the care of bees and how crucial they are to the ecosystem and pollination at the beekeeping museum; and exploring the organic gardens and growing techniques. And don’t forget a taste of honey! Then travel to Segovia to see its famed Roman aqueduct, which hydrated the region and is a real feat of ancient engineering. A guide will show you around the aqueduct and take you to visit the Alcázar, the 12th century medieval castle. Return to Madrid for the evening.

Day 6: Barcelona

Whiz through the Spanish countryside aboard the high-speed AVE train to Catalonia's capital city, Barcelona. Using a combination of walking and Barcelona’s excellent Metro system, an orientation sightseeing tour with your ACIS Tour Manager introduces you to highlights such as one of the city’s fresh produce markets(a great place to have some lunch), the unique Gaudí designs along the Passeig de Gràcia, and will make a stop outside his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. Antoni Gaudí, one of Catalonia's most famous sons, was a Modernist architect whose distinctive style is revered to this day. Then contrast those Modernist designs with the narrow cobbled streets, peaceful squares and towering old buildings that characterize the city's Gothic Quarter, which at times was home to both Picasso and Joan Miró. In the evening, take a walk down La Rambla and experience the buzzing atmosphere in Plaça de Catalunya in the heart of the commercial district. Tonight’s dinner in the El Born neighborhood is at a special non-profit restaurant with deep roots in its community. It focuses on locally sourced produce, fair trade ingredients, and promoting social cohesion and mobility through a program of training and employing locals in need of opportunities and labor market skills.

Day 7: Barcelona

Start your day with a bike tour of Barcelona’s Olympic Village, the Port area and Poblenou, an innovation- and creativity-focused neighborhood that was once the former industrial district of the city and is now a shining example of urban regeneration. The bike tour focuses on themes of regeneration, sustainability initiatives, industrial heritage and conserving the city’s marine environment. Then visit La Boqueria, one of the biggest fresh food markets in Europe. After time to get lunch, the rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy more of Barcelona at your own pace.

Day 8: Barcelona

Visit the fisherman’s village at the Port of Barcelona this morning to learn about the city’s traditional fishing culture, the biodiversity of fish in the Mediterranean Sea, fishing techniques, and responsible and the sustainable consumption of fish. You will see the boats returning with the fresh catch of the day and visit a fish market. You will also take part in a workshop that looks at the problematic effects of plastic consumption on the sea. Your experience ends with a lunch by the wharf made from locally sourced seafood products. After lunch, you may wish to participate in a beach clean-up effort or enjoy a final free afternoon to discover more of Barcelona.

Day 9: Departure

Depart for the USA.