Highlights of Spain

Board your overnight flight, bound for Spain. Get ready to drink sangria and cool off in the water. Don’t be shocked if the bathing suits you see are of the invisible variety. Public nudity is legal here.

Welcome to Barcelona, a city of endless parties, wacky architecture, and premium beaches—which also happen to be where the clubs are. So throw on your walking shoes, your party pants, and any shirt you’d like. Barcelona is the fiesta that keeps on fiesta…ing.

Today's Highlights:

• Meet an EF representative at the airport.
• Transfer to your accommodations and check in.
• Receive the latest schedule from your Tour Director.
• Meet your fellow travelers as they arrive.

In the evening, it’s time for your Welcome Mixer. Enjoy appetizers and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, take the party elsewhere.

Experience Barcelona’s unique architecture and atmosphere with a local guide as you wander the city’s enchanting streets. This historic city is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, seven of which were built by Gaudí (he’s kind of a big deal around here). Take in the impressive sites, and understand why Barcelona is the only city to receive a Royal Gold Medal for architecture—the buildings are basically art.

Today's Highlights:

• Explore the Gothic Quarter with your guide. Don't forget your black eyeliner.
• Visit one of Antoni Gaudí's greatest work of modernist art, Parque Güell. This colorful park is adorned with tilework, dreamlike structures and not a straight line in sight.
• See the 1992 Olympic Park which lines the Mediterranean Sea.
• Check out the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral, where construction started over 100 years ago by Gaudí.
• Take the evening to revisit any of the sights, hit the beach, or explore on your own.

The day is yours to experience Barcelona as you please. Whether that means exploring a new neighborhood, lounging on a beach, or kicking back with some tapas and a pitcher of sangria, you really can’t go wrong. Feeling adventurous? Join the Dali & Costa Brava Beaches optional excursion.

Free Time Suggestions
Market Down: Visit La Boqueria, the famous market just off of Las Ramblas, with everything from fresh fruits to meats, flowers and sweets.
OverARCHing Theme The Arc de Triomf was built as the main entrance for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. While it may remind you of a different (perhaps more famous) arch, it can certainly, shall we say, stand on its own.

Travel to Madrid
Grab a café con leche, and hit the open road. You’ll take a private motorcoach from Barcelona to Madrid. Spain’s capital is famous for its world-class art museums, live music scene, and never-ending nightlife. It seems people never sleep here...except for two hours after lunch. Madrid is a city that definitely knows how to relax and have fun. Get ready—your life is about to get loco.

Today's Highlights:

• Stroll down Madrid's liveliest street, Gran Via. Your Tour Director will identify some of the city's most impressive architecture, theaters, and nightlife spots.
• Walk through Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid's biggest park, and keep a lookout for the trees that look like broccoli (you'll know it when you see it).

A nearly endless amounts of tapas, sangria, and Spanish Golden Age architecture will greet you in this city located at the very center of Spain. Discover many of the most popular destinations before getting cultured at one of the world’s leading art museums. And remember, there’s always room for more tapas.

Today's Highlights:

• Journey to the very heart of Madrid at the Puerta del Sol, aka the “Gate of the Sun.”
• Shop, walk, and enjoy the outdoors and a bronze statue of King Phillip III at Plaza Mayor (Main Square).
• Check out the Picassos and Dalís at the Reina Sofia, or see the works of the old Rennaisance masters at the Prado.

Free Time Suggestions
El Retiro Park: Once belonging to the Spanish Monarchy, this now public park contains a variety of statues and museums, the famed Rosaleda rose garden, the Palacio de Cristal, and Retiro Pond—a great spot for watching people and street performers alike.
Malasaña Park: This happening area is known for a large student population and streets filled with coffee shops, bakeries, and vintage clothing stores. Then at night, edgy dance and rock clubs come to life so you can dance the night away.

On your way south, make a pit stop in Córdoba for a tour of the Mosque, and views of historic architecture and the second-largest Old Town in Europe. You are now in Andalucía, known for flamenco dancing, Islamic architecture, and tapas on tapas. Excited? Hungry? You should be. Let’s get to it!

Today's Highlights:

• Enjoy a scenic bus ride through the heart of Spain, with a stop in Córdoba.
• Follow a local guide through the expansive Great Mosque of Córdoba.
• Arrive in Granada and orient yourself to the area around your hotel.
• Keep your eyes peeled for street art as you twist your way through the narrow pathways of the city.
• Do some barhopping to ingest copious amounts of tapas and cañas (that’s draft beer here in Spain).

Lucky you. A whole day in Granada, free to do what you want. But first, join a local guide for a VIP tour of the city. There’s heavy Moorish influence here, and you’ll see it all around you in the city’s winding streets. Get ready to be dazzled by the Alhambra palace and fortress, the true highlight of Granada.

Today's Highlights:

• Get up, get out, and get lost walking through Albayzin, a maze of cobblestone streets. Just make sure you leave a trail of crumbs to find your way home.
• Take everything in as you wander the vast grounds of the Alhambra. It's part palace, part fortress, all parts awesome. Since the year 889, the area has undergone countless changes and restorations.
• Walk along the Darro river to Paseo de los Tristes, and grab a table at a nearby café.
• Look up and see the Alhambra looking right back down at you. Not in the creepy way, though.

Continue your tour of southern Spain with a visit to Seville, the capital of Spain’s Andalucía region, and its biggest city. Seville is full of students that have definitely adopted the "study hard, play hard" lifestyle. And lucky for you, you get to skip the "study" portion.

Today's Highlights:

• Travel by bus to Seville.
• Check in to your accommodation and explore the surrounding area on your own.
• Go green at Maria Luisa Park, a big and beautiful park with a fountain surrounded by lions.

Today is all about you, Seville, and a local guide. Your guide will show you the best of the best when it comes to Seville. Afterwards, get out and enjoy some free time in your new favorite city. Let nothing get in your way (except for the pigeons, maybe).

Today's Highlights:

• Meet your local guide and experience the city’s highlights by bus and foot.
• Gaze up at the immense Seville Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the world, and, allegedly, home to Christopher Columbus's grave (Dominicans also claim they have his remains).
• Wander through the lavish Plaza de España and admire the Neo-Moorish architecture.
• Visit the Moorish Alcázar, which was built in the 14th century for a king named Pedro the Cruel. Hmm...wonder if people liked him?
• Wind your way through Santa Cruz, the former Jewish quarter and most picturesque neighborhood in Seville. Instagrammers, get your phone ready. This is your moment.

Continue on to the aptly named ”Coast of the Sun”, a collection of Spanish towns on the Mediterranean. The Costa del Sol is all about seaside relaxation— the rich-and-famous and the “regular people” alike have been vacationing here for decades. When you arrive, join your Tour Director for a walk through the streets and along the beach.

Today's Highlights:

• Head to the southern coast of Spain, where the sun always shines and the people always smile—probably because it’s always sunny.
• Follow your Tour Director around the area and learn more about the coastal way of life.
• Walk through town, poking your head into cafes for one last chance to practice your español.

Farewell Dinner
Share some last laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with the group.

Adiós, amigos!
Translation: Goodbye, friends. Your next destination awaits—home. Before you head to the airport, enjoy your last few moments together. Take one more group photo. Grab that final drink. (Fine, maybe a couple of drinks.) But this isn’t goodbye. It’s “See you later.” The only question is, where?

–OR–

EXTEND YOUR TRIP 2 WAYS

1. Double the fun
A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.

2. Go ahead or stay behind
Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.

Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.