Spanish Culinary, Wine & Cultural Tours
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Culinary Tours
Culinary & Art Tour in Northern Spain
Itinerary | Features | Prices | Travel Options
Highlights of your unforgettable visit include:
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Accommodations in a 4-star converted palace hotel in the heart of Gothic Barcelona and in an authentic Spanish stone castle in the countryside
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Gourmet cooking lessons with Spanish chefs and 4-course meals and a market shopping experience in Spain's famous market, La Boqueria
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Guided tours of Gaudi's architecture, the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, a 13th century castle, fishing villages, medieval villages
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A day visit to a local winery including a tour of cellars and vineyards, and complete with wine tasting
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A visit to the beautiful and picturesque seaside village of Cadaques including a tour of the Dali House/Museum
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Tastings of exquisite gourmet Spanish foods including ham, cheese, olives, wines, dried fruits, nuts and chocolate
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You will start your stay with airport collection and check-in to a 4-star luxury hotel at an old palace within the Gothic District of downtown Barcelona. A fruit and chocolate basket will be waiting for you in your room to welcome you. We suggest dinner at the charming and elegant hotel restaurant, but a variety of informal venues are also just a short walk away.
Today you will meet your Official Licensed Guide and receive an itinerary of your personalized tour and plenty of suggestions for restaurants and free time activities. You will then traverse the city on a gourmet walking tour through the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona! Your journey will pass by a few architectural feats as well, including a gothic cathedral, Santa Maria Church. The Gothic Quarter is considered the heart of Barcelona and home to an abundance of tucked away gourmet cafes and shops.
You will take the path of Picasso on the famous Avignon Street, make a private visit to the Picasso Museum, taste fresh Spanish cheeses at a charming local cheese shop paired with a little wine and stop at the oldest venue in Barcelona for refreshments, dried nuts and fruits, and see the process first hand. You will visit a delicious traditional delicatessen and sample Spain's famous hams, cold meats and sausages, all provided by local farmers. The meats will be complemented by fine Penedes and Priorat wines, including ecological varieties from nearby Barcelona vineyards. To round out our tasting day of Barcelona’s best, we will finish off with dessert at the oldest venue for chocolate and churros the city has to offer.
Surely after this day of activity you will welcome the Spanish siesta time and relish a free evening on your own. Perhaps you would like see an illuminated night view of the Sagrada Familia and we can certainly recommend a fine dining venue nearby.
This morning, after a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you will meet you chef and tour the famous La Boqueria Spain’s most important and lively marketplace offering the freshest produce and variety in all of Europe. During the tour of the market, you will be educated on local products, which you will use in your cooking class. Next, you will embark with your chef and for a gourmet cooking lesson and will use the freshest and finest ingredients available in La Boqueria to prepare lunch. Whatever local specialty tempts you most - fideuá, seafood paella, suquet, or Catalan creme - will make up your meal. You will enjoy the personalized attention of our chef and a sumptuous lunch with wine to follow.
After lunch, our guide will join you and together you will head to the Passeig de Gracia for a walking tour of the fanciful works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and see his famous Casa Batllo and La Pedrera. Throughout Gaudi's work, you will see much of his architectural inspiration came from his experiences in nature. Then, our specialized guide will take you on a private tour to the astonishing unfinished church, la Sagrada Familia, the most representative design of the genial architect.
Thia evening you will have free to discover the lively city and restaurants of Barcelona on your own.
Today after breakfast and the experience of touring bustling Barcelona, you will leave for the beautiful and serene countryside of Emporda, 1h 30 minutes away. Your home for the next 3 nights awaits you there - an authentic Spanish medieval castle, an architectural jewel that was built eight centuries ago.
Unwind after the city hustle and bustle by exploring the hundred-year-old forest and a splendid olive orchard sorrounding the hotel or maybe relaxing by the gorgeus pool and having a delicious informal lunch on the terraced restaurant, overlooking the hills of the picturesque Emporda countryside.
In the afternoon there are plenty of scenic walks to explore the area and picturesque ocean front spots to see as well. You will visit the medieval village of Pals, one of the best-preserved medieval villages in all of Spain! As you walk through the narrow village streets, next to the city walls, towers and churches, you will feel as though you have walked into a new time altogether. The stone archways, cobblestone streets and wrought balconies adorned with flowers create a welcoming feel in this Romanesque village. Continuing your medieval journey you will visit the fascinating village of Peratalada and after sufficient time to search throughout this charming memory of medieval times, will enjoy a tapas luncheon with wine.
This leisurely evening will be spent getting acquainted with the grounds of the castle and enjoying all the amenities of your fairy tale residence before enjoying a peaceful dinner by candlelight.
This morning you will visit the excellent Perelada vineyard with a long tradition of wine making, commenced by monks in the 14th century. A wine expert will show you around the vineyards and then you will visit Perelada´s 13th Century castle; see an ancient wine press as well as the current wine and cava making facilities. The Gran Claustre cava, which is the finest cava available at this vineyard, is still fermented with the same process and in the same location used by the Carmelite Monks to prepare it in the 14th Century. This cava was selected in a blind tasting between the world´s finest champagnes to be served at the wedding in 2004 of Prince Felipe of Spain. Your in-house wine expert will then guide you through a tasting of their best cavas and wines including Gran Claustre and you will be able to appreciate its balanced coupage of Xarelo, Macabeu and Parellada grapes.
At lunchtime you will be the special guest of a local Catalan chef at his modern, but still cozy, cooking school, just a short drive from Perelada. You and your guide will join him for an afternoon of inspired cookery Catalan style! You will have the opportunity to participate in the chef’s preparations or, if you prefer, you can sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy his cooking from aperitif to dessert. Our chef appears frequently on local TV and has a charming personality, so feel free to ask him everything you would like to know about the Spanish cuisine! The delicious cuisine you enjoyed preparing will be even more rewarding when you eat your three course masterpiece, paired with local wine, complete with desert and coffee.
After your exciting cooking experience, surely an unforgettable visit to the fabulous Dali Theatre/Museum in Figueres will be a nice way to end the day. The great artist purchased the museum building and personally oversaw its reconstruction and renovation. Now restored in a style appealing to Dali, it is home to some of his greatest works of surrealism.
Thanks to a breakfast fit for royalty at the castle, you will be ready for a morning exploring the picturesque fisherman village of Cadaques. The town is known for its breathtaking beauty and history of famous Bohemian artists, including Dali. You will notice the artistic influence on this town as it is apparent in the lingering feel of the laidback and creative atmosphere. You will make visit to the summer seaside home of Dali, complete with his works and arrangement of rooms, where you can have a glimpse into his life. Next, you will follow his footsteps as you dine on a delightful lunch in one of the charming local haunts of the artist. The fresh fish and seafood of this seaside village will be enjoyed in the same place the locals enjoy it. You will experience the atmosphere of this town in an authentic way as you try a few of the locals’ favorite seafood dishes. After a rest at your seaside inn and an afternoon to yourself to spend perhaps sipping wine on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean for sure you will enjoy the breathtaking scenic views on your drive back to your hotel.
Well, your tour is nearly over...for a really special farewell we suggest a dinner in the dining room of your picturesque castle hotel. You can maybe start with a pica pica - a selection of small portions of local delicacies such as seafood and Iberian ham, then follow with the excellent local fish and the famous homemade Bisbalenc dessert. All this paired with some of the best local wines and cavas to make it a truly unique Mediterranean dining experience. Enjoy!
Your tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at the castle, followed by a chauffeured transfer to Barcelona for your departure.
We hope you join us for this unforgettable experience!
Your Culinary & Art Tour in Northern Spain includes:top
- English speaking expert culinary Official Licensed guide, where stated in your itinerary
- All transfers in a luxury vehicle
- Accommodations for 3 nights in luxurious 4-star gothic palace hotel (double occupancy)
- Accommodations for 3 nights in authentic stone Castle from the 13th century(double occupancy)
- 7 full breakfasts
- All the culinary, cultural visits and tastings indicated in the itinerary
- 2 private cooking classes followed by meals
- 1 tapas lunch with wine in a medieval village
- 1 lunch including wine in local restaurant
- Online Personal Travel Webpage including daily itinerary, general local information, details of places of interest, suggestions for restaurant reservations, and your free time, etc.
- Customized Travel Journal, including the information from your Personal Travel Webpage, which you can take with you to use as a reference throughout your tour
- Travel Insurance
Your Culinary & Art Tour in Northern Spain does not include:
- Flights
- Meals and Drinks not Specified
- Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc
- Tips and Gratuities (Restaurants, etc)
- Cancellation Insurance
Culinary & Art Tour in Northern Spain dates:
Available upon request all year round.
Culinary & Art Tour in Northern Spain Prices:
Please note our tours are available for PRIVATE GROUPS ONLY and are not scheduled tours for mixed groups.
The tour price varies depending on the Travel Option you choose. Please click on the option which suits you best in order to request a quotation.
In order to find out more about Gourmand Breaks' Travel Options, please Click Here
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