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Spain

Spain at a Slower Pace: The Best of Barcelona and Madrid

Program No. 22311RJ
Madrid and Barcelona are two of Europe’s most culturally fascinating cities. Join our experts for an insider’s perspective of these Old World gems, all at your own comfortable pace.

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Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 11 - May 20, 2023
Starting at
3,399
Sep 14 - Sep 23, 2023
Starting at
3,549
Sep 21 - Sep 30, 2023
Starting at
3,549
Oct 12 - Oct 21, 2023
Starting at
3,549
Nov 2 - Nov 11, 2023
Starting at
3,299
Mar 14 - Mar 23, 2024
Starting at
3,499
Apr 18 - Apr 27, 2024
Starting at
3,499
May 9 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
3,499
Oct 3 - Oct 12, 2024
Starting at
3,749
Nov 7 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
3,349
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 11 - May 20, 2023
Starting at
4,019
Sep 14 - Sep 23, 2023
Starting at
4,169
Sep 21 - Sep 30, 2023
Starting at
4,169
Oct 12 - Oct 21, 2023
Starting at
4,169
Nov 2 - Nov 11, 2023
Starting at
3,679
Mar 14 - Mar 23, 2024
Starting at
4,129
Apr 18 - Apr 27, 2024
Starting at
4,129
May 9 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
4,129
Oct 3 - Oct 12, 2024
Starting at
4,379
Nov 7 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
3,899

At a Glance

First visit Madrid, the great capital of Baroque culture and art - bask in the power and excitement of this historic city, then enjoy the city of Barcelona, with its modernist architecture and considered the gateway to Europe and the Mediterranean. Today, both cities boast magnificent architecture, prolific legacies of culture and cuisine, considered some of the best in the world. Come join experts to explore these two treasures of Spain as you learn their individual and connected stories.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Climbing on and off the motor coach for city visits, 1.5 to 2 miles of walking each day, unavoidable pedestrian areas, additional standing at sites and museums. Looking for the same great program but a more challenging activity level? Check out "The Best of Barcelona and Madrid" (#21336).
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn about and see the architectural masterworks of Antoni Gaudi.
  • Take part in a hands-on cookery class and enjoy the meal you prepare.
  • Attend an authentic Spanish “Tablao” to witness a traditional Flamenco performance.

General Notes

You may be interested in a more active version of this program, "The Best of Spain: Barcelona and Madrid" (#21336).
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Pilar Arizaga
Pilar Arizaga was born in Chile, grew up in Canada and currently lives in Spain. She has been a Group Leader for the past ten years and has worked with high school and college students, alumni and other groups. She has experience working in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Morocco and England and she speaks English and Spanish, with knowledge of Portuguese, Italian, and French. Pilar is a well-organized, patient and passionate person about her work, always willing and seeking to take on new adventures.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Sandra Velazquez
Sandra Velazquez View biography
Sandra Velazquez was born in Valladolid, Spain. She has always had a passion for travel, history and performing arts. She did her undergraduate work in Madrid, spent a summer in London working on English, and continued her education in Los Angeles, California. Sandra brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her group leading through her acting, passion for learning, and embrace of new traditions and cultures.
Profile Image of Pilar Arizaga
Pilar Arizaga View biography
Pilar Arizaga was born in Chile, grew up in Canada and currently lives in Spain. She has been a Group Leader for the past ten years and has worked with high school and college students, alumni and other groups. She has experience working in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Morocco and England and she speaks English and Spanish, with knowledge of Portuguese, Italian, and French. Pilar is a well-organized, patient and passionate person about her work, always willing and seeking to take on new adventures.
Profile Image of Silvia Riera
Silvia Riera View biography
Silvia Riera was born and raised in Barcelona, where she developed her passion for arts and the Catalan culture. In addition to Spanish and her native tongue, Catalan, Silvia is fluent in French, Italian, English and Portuguese. Silvia has lectured about modernism and Gaudi since 1988. Beyond arts, Silvia is — like most Barcelonians — a big fan of FC Barcelona, the world-renowned soccer team.
Profile Image of Cecilia Ceriani
Cecilia Ceriani View biography
Cecilia Ceriani has been an art teacher and critic for nearly three decades. She holds degrees in art history and English philology from the Complutense University of Madrid. Cecilia spent four years in South America as an art critic and book reviewer for newspapers in Montevideo and Buenos Aires before returning to her native Spain in 1986. Since then she has been lecturing on Road Scholar programs and at the U.S. Cultural Center in Madrid and writing for respected Spanish publications.
Profile Image of Teresa de la Vega
Teresa de la Vega View biography
Teresa de la Vega studied history and geography at Complutense University of Madrid and has received degrees in American anthropology, ancient history, and art history. She has taught courses in art history throughout her career.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Winter in Madrid
by CJ Sansom
A vivid and haunting historical novel, depicting post-Civil War Spain
Food and Wines of Spain
by Penelope Casas
This classic collection of 400 recipes, interwoven with cultural commentary and culinary history, is a pleasure to read, but prepare to become hungry.
Barcelona
by Robert Hughes
This big, thoroughly enjoyable cultural history of the city touches on architecture, art, religion and literature from Roman outpost to the present.
Barcelona Map
by Borch Maps
A detailed city map, laminated and folded for easy reference.
The Hive
by Camilo José Cela
The Hive presents a panoramic view of the degradation and sufferings of the lower-middle class in post-civil war Spain.
Gaudi, A Biography
by Gijs van Hensbergen
A vivid account of the architect and his work.
Love and Revolutionary Greetings: An Ohio Boy in the Spanish Civil War
by Laurie E. Levinger
Follow the story of a boy name Sam Levinger who travels to Spain in 1937 to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Based off of letters home to his mother, this story will captivate and educate it's readers of the American involvement during the Spanish Civil War.
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Set in the brooding atmosphere of post-WW II Barcelona, this gripping story-within-a-story has it all: murder, doomed love and a mysterious book which draws the young hero, Daniel Sempere, into the city’s dangerous underworld.
Captain Alatriste
by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
A swashbuckling adventure set in 17th Century Spain during the reign of Philip IV and the Golden Age of Spanish power.
Ghosts of Spain
by Giles Tremlett
Tremlett captures the Spanish character, history and modern politics in this masterful portrait, interweaving the story of his love for the country (where he has lived for 20 years) with interview, anecdote and observation.
Spain, A History
by Raymond Carr
An authoritative overview of Spain through the ages by one of the world's leading authorities on the history of Spain, Sir Raymond Carr.
The Arts in Spain, From Prehistory to Modernism
by John Moffit
From the cave painting at Altimira through the Golden Age, to the works of Picasso and Miro, this book documents the course of art in Spain, with 150 illustrations.
Cadogan Guide Barcelona & Catalonia
by Dana Facaros
This savvy guide combines practical details and maps with illuminating background on history, culture and sightseeing.
Antonio Gaudi, Master Architect
by Juan Bassegoda Nonell
This lavish little collection of Gaudi's work captures the evolution, imagination and exuberance of one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.
Adventures in Spain
by Catherine Petit
From Madrid north to Santiago and south to Granada, join Catherine Petit as she shares her journeys through the countryside, hills, mountains and quaint cities and towns of the breathtaking country of Spain. Catherine serves as your personal guide through cathedrals, museums, parks, gardens, and architectural delights as she treks her way through the enchanting landscape. The photographs will bring the experience of Spain right to your door. The friends she made, the people she met, and the cultural extravagance she witnessed will ensure you make Spain your next destination.
Hotel Florida: Truth, Love, and Death in the Spanish Civil War
by Amanda Vaill
The telling of the story of the Spanish Civil War through the eyes of several characters, including Ernest Hemingway, his girlfriend Martha Gellhorn and others - all of whom stayed at Madrid's Hotel Florida.
Homage to Catalonia
by George Orwell
Orwell's portrait of the Barcelona uprising and the spirit of a city at war is a classic, an observant and heartfelt report from the streets.





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