Payment of bespoke tour program of Catalonia | 31st of August – 6th of September | 6 pax
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Description and schedule of services
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31st of August: arrival to Barcelona and rest of the day at leisure.
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9am: upon arrival of your flight to Barcelona airport, collect your luggage, walk to the arrival hall and meet your personal driver there. He will be holding a sign saying “Ellen and family – Genuine Andalusia”. Then be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the quarter where your accommodation in Barcelona is.
10:30am (estimated): upon arrival to the quarter where your accommodation in Barcelona is, you will have your driver at your own disposal to keep your luggage in the vehicle and to also be taken for a bite to eat. There are plenty of places to eat in the quarter where your accommodation in Barcelona is. We will give you recommendations of things to do and see in Barcelona during your free time and of places to eat and drink too. We will also book restaurant tables for you if you wish (as long as credit/debit cards are not needed to make reservations).
12pm: be dropped off at your accommodation and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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1st of September: half day tour of Barcelona old town (Gothic, Raval and Born) followed by a tapas and wines journey
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at a well located hotel in Barcelona old town (so you can get there easily by yourselves from your accommodation in L’eixample) to start a private tour of the Gothic quarter, the Quarter of El Raval and the quarter of El Born, aimed at learning about the Roman origins of Barcelona and about its evolution towards a modern 21st-century metropolis.
After meeting your guide, you will start an introductory walking 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.
Then you will venture into the quarter of el Raval, which originated from the rural areas outside the old city walls, when the city started to experience considerable growth during the industrial revolution.
From the quarter of El Raval, 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.
1pm: 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.
3:30pm: end of your tapas tour and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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2nd of September: morning tour of Barcelona new town with a special focus on the masterpieces of local architect Antoni Gaudí.
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10am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to Parc Güell.
10:20am: 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.
11:45am: after your tour of Parc Güell, be transferred by your driver to the church of La Sagrada Familia.
12:05pm: 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.
1:45pm: after your visit to la Sagrada familia, be transferred by your driver back to your accommodation or anywhere in the city of your choice where you may want to spend the rest of the afternoon.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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3rd of September: morning at leisure and afternoon trip to the natural park and sanctuary of Montserrat.
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2:15pm: be met by your personal local host and a dedicated driver at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the natural park of Montserrat.
3pm: upon arrival to the Montserrat area, you will take a cable car to go up to the monastery area. Along the way, you will enjoy stunning views of the dramatic nature that surrounds Montserrat.
3:30pm: upon arrival to the Monastery area, take a tour of the basilica and of the different monastery sections including a visit to the room where the famous black Madonna is kept. This is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary that the catholic population of Barcelona have a great devotion for. This visit to the monastery area will allow you to enjoy the beauty of the site and also to learn about its historical and architectural significance.
After your tour of the monastery, you may want to enjoy the exquisite religious art collection that the monks of Montserrat have gathered throughout the centuries and that includes paintings by very renown Spanish painters.
5:15pm: after your visit to the monastery, enjoy the beautiful nature of the area by taking a short guided walk in the natural park to the cross of Saint Michael for beautiful panoramic views of the mountains and of the Monastery. After enjoying the natural beauty of the area, take a short walk back to the monastery area.
6:15pm: after your tour of the nature reserve and sanctuary or Montserrat, reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your accommodation in Barcelona.
7:15pm: arrival to your accommodation in Barcelona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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4th of September: day trip from Barcelona to the Penedés wine region to learn about the production of Catalan red, white and sparkling wines in two family-owned wineries and to enjoy the gastronomy of the area.
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9:30am: meet your personal local host at your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan 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.
10:30am: 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 including 6 red wines. 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.
1pm: 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.
3pm: after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to a second family-owned and family-run winery specialized in cavas and white wines.
3:15pm: upon arrival to the second winery, enjoy a private visit with the family (aging facilities only in order to keep indoors). At the cellar of the family you will be explained their artisanal approach to winemaking while you taste two long-aged sparkling wines and two white wines made by the family too.
5:15pm: after this second visit and with a wide understanding of the wines made in this iconic winemaking Catalan region , reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your accommodation in Barcelona.
6pm: arrival to Barcelona and services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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5th of September: day trip from Barcelona to Figueres to learn about the life and work of artist Salvador Dali and to the medieval village of Besalú and city of Girona.
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9am: meet your personal local host by the reception desk of your accommodation and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated driver to the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
10:40am: once at the Dalí museum, take a private tour with your guide aimed at learning about the life and work of the artist and about the museum itself, which is one of the most eclectic ones in the world.
12pm: after your tour of the museum, be picked up by your private driver and be transferred in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan to the medieval town of Besalú.
12:30pm: upon arrival to Besalú, take a private walking tour of its picturesque medieval quarters, while you learn about the history of its former Hispanic-Jewish community and about how it coexisted with the Christian majority. Besalu also features an impressive bridge from the 11th century that you may want to cross to capture the lovely views of the town from across the river.
1:45pm: after your introductory tour of Besalú, enjoy a well deserved lunch in a local restaurant with your local host. This will make an excellent opportunity to learn about life in Catalonia beyond Barcelona and about how different the rural areas can be from the urban ones.
3:30pm: after lunch, reconnect with your driver and be transferred to the nearby city of Girona.
4:10pm: upon arrival to Girona, you will enjoy a private walking tour of the old town along which you will learn about its Roman origins and about the important settlement the town also became in the middle ages. The old city ramparts date from the 9th century and feature a charming labyrinth of winding streets once inhabited by Christians, Jews and Muslims.
The highlight of your Girona tour will be its catholic Cathedral. An impressive temple featuring the hallmarks of varying architectural styles of different periods, this cathedral is home to the sacred chapel of the patron saint of Girona, and to the magnificent 11th century Tapestry of the Creation, considered to be a true masterpiece of medieval artwork.
Then, you will walk down toward the Onyar river, which features many picturesque bridges, which separate the old sections of the city from the new ones. Your tour of Girona will also take you to see the Game of Thrones locations. It will be there where your guide will explain the exact events of the series that happen in these particular spots.
6pm: reconnect with your driver and be transferred back to your accommodation in Barcelona.
7:30pm: arrival to your accommodation in Barcelona and end of services for the day.
Overnight in Barcelona: own arrangements
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6th of September: departure from Barcelona
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10am: meet your personal driver at your accommodation and be transferred to Barcelona airport.
10:30am: arrival to Barcelona airport on time to take your flight at 12:50pm.
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Pricing
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The cost of this bespoke tour program for a private group of 6 people is 8790 Euros
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This price includes
– All private transportation services mentioned above in a modern and comfortable Mercedes minivan with a dedicated uniformed driver.
– All private tours and experiences mentioned above with a knowledgeable, personable, kind, flexible and interactive fully licensed guide.
– All entrance tickets and admissions for all your guided tours.
– A tapas and wines lunch through the quarter of El Born on the 1st of September through 2 – 3 selected tapas bars and including a selection of 6 – 9 different local dishes to share and up to 4 drinks per person (beer, wine, refreshments, water).
– Private visits to two selected family-owned and family-run wineries in the Penedés wine region with a tasting of 6 different red wines (1st winery), 2 sparkling wines (2nd winery) and 2 white wines (2nd winery) accompanied by some snacks.
– A list of recommended things to do and see and of places to eat in Barcelona during your free time.
– Petrol, parkings and tolls.
– 24h Guardian Angel service throughout your trip.
– All taxes.
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This price excludes
– Accommodation
– Your international flights
– Any taxi rides needed to get around Barcelona when on your own.
– Lunch during your day trip to the Penedés wine region (your guide will take you to a selected local restaurant suited to your taste but the cost of lunch is not included).
– Lunch during your day trip to Figures, Besalú and Girona (your guide will take you to a selected local restaurant suited to your taste but the cost of lunch is not included).
– Any other meals not mentioned in the section “this price includes”.
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Confirmation and payments
In order to confirm this tour program we require a 30% deposit of the grand total via credit/debit card no later than the 25th of March 2023. The final 70% must be paid via the same method no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program.
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Grand total of this bespoke tour program: 8970 Euros
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30% deposit needed no later than the 25th of March at 11:59pm (Madrid time) to confirm the tour program: 2691 Euros.
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Final 70% needed no later than 30 days prior to the start of the tour program: 6279 Euros
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Cancellation policy
– If you cancel your bespoke tour program more than 30 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge the 30% deposit only.
– If you cancel your bespoke tour program between 30 and 15 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 50% of the full cost of the tour program and we will refund the other 50%.
– If you cancel your bespoke tour program between 14 and 8 days prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 75% of the full cost of the tour program and we will refund the other 25%.
– If you cancel your bespoke tour program 7 days or less prior to its scheduled start, we will charge 100% of the full cost of the tour program.
(*) Please note that partial cancellations won’t result in partial refunds. This applies to the duration / activities of the tour program and to the group size.
