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.
Enroll with Confidence
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more
Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone?
800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Nov 7 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
3,349Full Inventory
Oct 23 - Nov 1, 2025
Starting at
4,199DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Oct 3 - Oct 12, 2024
Starting at
4,379Nov 7 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
3,899May 8 - May 17, 2025
Starting at
4,799May 22 - May 31, 2025
Starting at
4,799Full Inventory
Oct 23 - Nov 1, 2025
Starting at
4,899Not seeing the date you're looking for?
To be notified if dates of this program become available, click the button below.
10 days
9 nights
18 meals
8B 3L 7D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
6
Transfer to Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona
9
Hospital Sant Pau, Picasso Museum
Barcelona
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. Many cobblestones, steps and uneven ground. 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
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Learn about and see the Modernist architectural masterworks of Barcelona.
- 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 trip experts
Ulises Diaz-Ropero
Ulises Diaz-Ropero is originally from Toledo and is fluent in Spanish, English, and an intermediate level of French. He is an avid traveler and has visited many countries on four different continents. Ulises completed a Master’s degree in ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental Studies in London before becoming a world music artist in the thriving music scene in London. For the last five years, Ulises has been pursuing a career in education, leading educational travels as well as teaching Spanish to adults.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Ulises Diaz-Ropero
View biography
Ulises Diaz-Ropero is originally from Toledo and is fluent in Spanish, English, and an intermediate level of French. He is an avid traveler and has visited many countries on four different continents. Ulises completed a Master’s degree in ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental Studies in London before becoming a world music artist in the thriving music scene in London. For the last five years, Ulises has been pursuing a career in education, leading educational travels as well as teaching Spanish to adults.
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.
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.
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.
Suggested Reading List
(29 books)
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.
Spain at a Slower Pace: The Best of Barcelona and Madrid
Program Number: 22311
Ghosts of Spain
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.
¡Guerra!
Jason Webster journeys across Spain, this time to explore the lasting effects of the Spanish Civil War. Could the divisions that led to the conflict still be simmering under the surface, and is it possible they could erupt again?
Two Catalonias
A must see documentary on the divisions in Catalan Politics and the independence movement
Only in Spain, A Foot-Stomping, Firecracker of a Memoir About Food, Flamenco and Falling in Love
In this exuberant memoir, an enthusiastic young Australian discovers a passion for Spanish culture
(especially flamenco) as she explores Seville and Madrid.
Cathedral of the Sea
Set in fourteenth-century Barcelona, Cathedral of the Sea is a thrilling historical novel of friendship and revenge, plague and hope, love and war.
Goya
Hughes brings us the story of an artist whose life and work bridged the transition from the eighteenth-century reign of the old masters to the early days of the nineteenth-century moderns.
Gaudi: The life of a Visionary
A chronological journey covering the life and works of Gaudi
The New Spaniards
John Hooper's fascinating study brings to life the new Spain of the 21st century
Hotel Florida
Madrid, 1936. In a city blasted by civil war, six people meet and find their lives changed forever...
Barcelona
This big, thoroughly enjoyable cultural history of the city touches on architecture, art, religion and literature from Roman outpost to the present.
The Shadow of the Wind
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.
The Shadow of the Wind
Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals from its war wounds, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. ...
España - A Brief History of Spain
Bestselling author and journalist, Giles Tremlett delves into the rich and varied history of Spain, from prehistoric times to today, in a brief, accessible and enjoyable account.
Barcelona Map
A detailed city map, laminated and folded for easy reference.
Homage to Catalonia
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.
Love and Revolutionary Greetings: An Ohio Boy in the Spanish Civil War
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 Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience
For more than a thousand years, Sepharad (the Hebrew word for Spain) was home to a large Jewish community noted for its richness and virtuosity. Summarily expelled in 1492 and forced into exile, their tragedy of expulsion marked the end of one critical phase of their history and the beginning of another.
Cadogan Guide Barcelona & Catalonia
This savvy guide combines practical details and maps with illuminating background on history, culture and sightseeing.
Catalonia A Guide to Modern Architecture 1880 2007
Published jointly with the Architects Association of Catalonia, this reference book and guide offers insight into the Modernist buildings of Catalonia, ordered by geographical location.
Duende
Duende is Webster’s captivating memoir of the years he spent in Spain pursuing his obsession. Studying flamenco guitar until his fingers bleed, he becomes involved in a passionate yet doomed affair with Lola, a flamenco dancer...
Antonio Gaudi, Master Architect
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.
The Arts in Spain, From Prehistory to Modernism
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.
Gaudi, A Biography
A vivid account of the architect and his work.
An Englishman in Madrid
Anthony Whitelands, an English art historian, is invited to Madrid to value an aristocrat's collection. At a welcome lunch he encounters Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder and leader of the Falange, a nationalist party whose antics are bringing the country ever closer to civil war.....
Catalonia: A Cultural History
Michael Eaude traces the checkered history and unique monuments of Catalonia through the ages
A life of Picasso
Richardson draws on his close friendship with Picasso, his own diaries, the collaboration of Picasso's widow Jacqueline, and unprecedented access to Picasso's studio and papers to arrive at a profound understanding of the artist and his work. (4 volumes)
Catalan Cuisine: Europe's Last Great Culinary Secret
An introduction and a guide to the food, wine, and customs of Catalonia featuring recipes and cooking techniques
Winter in Madrid
A vivid and haunting depiction of wartime Spain, Winter in Madrid offers an intimate and riveting tale that offers a remarkable sense of history unfolding
Food and Wines of Spain
This classic collection of 400 recipes, interwoven with cultural commentary and culinary history, is a pleasure to read, but prepare to become hungry.