Payment of bespoke tour program of Barcelona and Catalonia | 23rd – 26th of October | 2 pax
–
Description and schedule of services
–
23rd of October: arrival to Barcelona and introductory walking tour of Barcelona old town (Gothic and Born quarters) followed by a tapas and wines journey there
–
8:30am: upon arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport, collect your luggage, walk to the arrivals hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Cole Jennings – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to your hotel in Barcelona.
1h after (estimated): arrival to your hotel in Barcelona, check-in (subject to your room being ready) and free time to rest, have a bite and freshen up before your introductory culture, lifestyle and food tour of Barcelona old town.
5pm: meet your personal local host at the door of your hotel and start your tour with a walk towards Barcelona medieval quarters.
Upon arrival to Barcelona’s medieval section, you will start your discovery journey with a tour of the Gothic quarter, through which you will learn about the Roman origins of Barcelona and about its expansion until the medieval times. Your walk will take you through a maze of narrow streets that open onto charming squares with impressive temples and noble houses. During your walk, your guide will allow you to understand the first stages of the growth of the city from a Roman town to a thriving medieval metropolis.
From the Gothic quarter, you will go to the quarter of El Born to start a private culture and gastronomy tour of this part of the city. El Born emerged as the medieval extension of Barcelona and it is a quarter that combines tradition and modernity these days. It is an area of contrasts where some of the most historic streets of Barcelona coexist with modern fashion, gastronomy and art businesses. Your guide will share with you both history and architecture aspects while they throw in relevant information about the present character and personality of this area of Barcelona. Along your tour, you will visit the iconic basilica of Santa María del Mar, dating from the 14th century and built with the help of the inhabitants of the quarter at that time.
7:30pm: after your introduction to the history and architecture of El Born, it will be time to immerse yourselves into the local dynamics and to start discovering the character of Barcelona through its food and wine scene.
Understanding how Catalonia works when it comes to celebrating food can be one of the most revealing experiences of the culture of the region. The Catalans love their excellent food and they like to make a celebration out of every meal, together with family and friends. Food, conversation, wine, laughter and a magical common feeling of thankfulness combine in perfect harmony around Catalan tables to make meals memorable.
Tapas play a key role in the wide variety of options that the region has to offer gastronomy-wise. They are small portions of food that people usually have as an appetizer before a meal. However, especially when eating out, a meal can consist of several different tapas and this is exactly what this tour is about.
Your local Spanish foodie host will take you on a tapas journey through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of the city, during which you’ll be able to taste a selection of 6 – 9 different local tapas dishes, combined with the corresponding drinks. Along the tour, you’ll be explained about the hectic social life that citizens of Barcelona have and how most of it takes place around food in tapas bars.
Barcelona can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing a place to eat so this tour will allow you to relax and to enjoy the magnificent culinary scene of the city, while you also learn about its particular character and identity, together with your local host.
10pm: end of your tapas tour and walk with your guide back to your hotel.
10:30pm: arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements. Hotel El Palace
–
–
24th of October: private cooking lesson with a local chef in their cooking studio and tour of Barcelona new town with a special focus on the masterpieces of local architect Antoni Gaudí
–
9:30am: be met by your personal cooking instructor at your accommodation and take a short walk to a local market that they will choose for the occasion.
9:55am: upon arrival to the market you will take a guided tour aimed at learning about Catalan local produce, about the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet and about the Catalan gastronomy in concrete. This will make a great introduction to the Northeastern Spanish cooking philosophy.
10:25am: after your visit to the market you will be taken to their cooking studio, located just a short walk from the market.
10:35am: upon arrival to the studio of your personal cooking instructor, enjoy a private hands-on cooking workshop with a special focus on traditional Catalan cuisine. ︎This workshop is ideal for travelers interested in discovering the secrets of Catalan gastronomy.
Traditional gastronomy always reveals the customs and lifestyle of a country, city or region and this workshop is aimed at creating an immersion into the culture of Catalonia.
You will learn the basics of Catalan cuisine, the stews and the flavors of traditional recipes, but with a twist in the way to present the dishes, which will be creative and modern.
Together with your personal chef, you will enjoy traditional Catalan cuisine and the aromas and flavors that Catalans have always shared with their families. This will take place during the second part of the activity during which you will eat what you will cook, celebrating the joyous Mediterranean lifestyle. We will send you a suggested menu beforehand for you to approve.
1:45pm: after your cooking workshop and lunch, make your own way back to your hotel to freshen-up before your your of the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí.
3pm: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and take a taxi from there to Parc Güell.
3:20pm: upon arrival, you will be taken on a private walking tour of the park aimed at understanding the extent to which Gaudi was able to expand his creativity and versatility. Promoted by the local businessman Eusebi Güell, the park was originally devised as an exclusive garden for the well-to-do local families who wanted to get away from the busy city life and be closer to nature. Güell gave Gaudí free rein to design the site, in such a way that the architect was able to experiment with new construction techniques and incorporate references to Classical mythology, the history of Catalonia and the Christian religion and this is what your tour will uncover for you.
4:45pm: after your tour of Parc Güell, be transferred by your driver to the church of La Sagrada Familia.
5pm: arrival to la Sagrada Familia and private tour of the site. After your initial discovery of Catalan Modernist architecture and the work of Gaudí at Park Güell, you will have the right context to enjoy the magnificence of this temple and to understand the visionary that Gaudí was, by taking a private tour of both the inside and the outside of the building with your personal local host. The church of la Sagrada familia is the most ambitious and complex project of Gaudí as it incorporates all the structural innovations he had developed during his career. Also, the temple contains a fascinating symbolism revealing the in-depth knowledge of Christian liturgy that Gaudí acquired after several decades of intense study.
7pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, take a taxi back to your hotel.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements. Hotel El Palace
–
–
25th of October: day trip from Barcelona to the Penedés wine region to learn about the production of Catalan red, white and sparkling wines in a family-owned winery and to enjoy the gastronomy of the area
–
9am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver to the Penedés wine region. Along the way you will be explained about this particular area of Catalonia located East from Barcelona.
10am: upon arrival to the Penedés wine region you will visit a family-owned and family-run winery. During your visit you will get to learn about the local viticulture while you walk among the family vineyards discovering and learning how the family elaborates its wines combining ancestral and modern techniques. After this introduction, you will enjoy a comprehensive wine tasting of different types of wine. You will discover the soils, microclimates and grape varieties that the family grows in its vineyards. The tasting will be accompanied by some morning snacks.
2pm: after your discovery journey of the local viticulture in the vineyard and of the aging of the local wines in cellars you will be taken for lunch to a selected local restaurant in the area to discover the local gastronomy.
4pm: after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your hotel in Barcelona.
5pm: arrival to your hotel in Barcelona and services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements. Hotel El Palace
–
–
26th of October: departure from Barcelona
–
Time TBC: meet your personal driver at your hotel and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle to Barcelona port.
20 minutes later: arrival to Barcelona port on time to take your cruise ship.
–
–
Pricing
–
The cost of this bespoke tour program for a private party of 2 pax is 4450 Euros
–
This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes vehicle with a dedicated driver.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide with a great command of the English language.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all your guided tours.
– A tapas and wines dinner through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars of Barcelona old town including a selection of 6 – 9 local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (wine, beer, refreshments, water).
– A private visit to a selected local winery in the Penedés wine region including the corresponding wine tastings there and a selection of morning bites.
– A private market tour with tastings and a catalan cuisine lesson with a professional chef in their professional cooking studio, followed by lunch with wine there.
– All taxi rides for your tour of the highlights of architect Antoni Gaudí.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in Barcelona.
– 24h Guardian Angel service throughout your tour program for any emergencies you may have.
– All taxes.
–
This price excludes
– Accommodation
– Your international flights
– Lunch during your day trip to the Penedés wine region (your guide will take you to a restaurant suited to your taste but the cost of lunch is not included. You can pay locally).
– Any meals not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
– Anything else not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
–
Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this tour program at this price we require a 30% deposit of the grand total via credit/debit card no later than the 6th of May 2024 at 11:59pm (Madrid time). The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the start of the trip.
–
Grand total of this tour program: 4450 Euros
–
30% deposit needed no later than the 6th of May 2024 via credit/debit card to confirm the tour program: 1335 Euros
–
Final 70% needed no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program: 3115 Euros
–
Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your tour program more than 30 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your tour program between 30 days and 15 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the program and we will refund the other 50%.
– If you cancel your tour program between 14 days and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 70% of the full cost of the program and we will refund the other 30%.
– If you cancel your tour program 7 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the program.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the group size and to the activities / services included in the trip.
(**) Genuine Andalusia strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance for any international trip. Most of our US guests buy their travel insurance through Medjet.
