Spanish Culinary, Wine & Cultural Tours
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Food & Wine Tours
The Ultimate Gourmet Tour ; Sublime Spain
Itinerary | Features | Prices | Travel Options
Highlights of your unforgettable visit include:
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Accommodations in a five star grand luxury hotel in the fashionable Eixample district of Barcelona and in a 5-star luxury hotel and spa in the countryside
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Tours of Gaudi's architecture, the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, a 13th century castle, two medieval villages, seaside villages, and Girona's old Jewish Quarter
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A visit to a local winery including a tour of cellars and vineyards, complete with wine tasting
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Fine luxury dining throughout the tour at 1 and 3 starred Michelin restaurants in both traditionally rustic and fashionably modern venues
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An unforgettable shopping experience in Spain´s world-famous market, La Boqueria
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Tastings of exquisite gourmet Spanish foods including ham, cheese, olives, wines, dried fruits, nuts and chocolate
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This luxurious vacation starts with airport pickup and a chauffeured transfer in a private car to a 5-star grand luxury hotel in the fashionable Eixample district of Barcelona. A fruit and chocolate basket will be waiting in your room to welcome you to Spain. The hotel, a restored 19th century landmark building, designed by Spanish architect Luis Domenech i Montaner, provides a world class combination of modern luxurious accommodations and superb panoramic views of downtown Barcelona. You will now have time to relax and settle into your hotel. We recommend dinner tonight in one of the hotel’s restaurants, which have received rave reviews. The night provides the opportunity to get acquainted with your hotel and to venture out into the city if you wish!
This morning you will meet your guide at the hotel and together you will discuss your personalized itinerary for the rest of your tour. Apart from having available your Online Personal Travel Webpage, you will receive a booklet version of your itinerary details, a map and plenty of suggestions for restaurants and free time activities. Afterwards together you will visit La Boqueria, Spain’s most important, and world-famous, marketplace. It offers the absolute freshest and most diverse selection of produce. At the market, you will visit the famous bar frequented by in-the-know celebrities of Barcelona. Here you will try the best aperitifs, perhaps a reserve cava (Spanish champagne) and sample some of the finest products of the marketplace!
Next, you will traverse the city on a gourmet walking tour through the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, home to an abundance of tucked away gourmet cafes and shops. You will see a few architectural feats as well, including the amazing gothic Santa Maria Church. You will take the path of Picasso on the famous Avignon Street and taste fresh Spanish cheeses paired with quality wines at charming local specialized shops in the fashionable port district.
Your lunch of exquisite tapas will include Spain's best Iberic “bellota” ham, Joselito, foie-gras, etc., all enjoyed at the best delicatessen in the city. You will be in very good hands, as the sommelier at this venue will complement each tapa with the finest Spanish wine for an afternoon in true Spanish style! For dessert, we will stop into the oldest venue in Barcelona for dried nuts, fruits, coffee, toasted almonds or a dessert of your choice.
Surely after this day of activity you will welcome the Spanish siesta time and relish a free evening on your own. As always, our guide is at your disposal and will direct you to the best Spanish shops and restaurants in the city, or will accompany you, if you prefer.
Your first destination this morning will be one of the best gourmet sites in the city, where you will browse some of their 10,000 references of wines and liquors, 200 types of olives and 100 types of vinaigrettes. And there will certainly be time to sample some of them!
Next you will head up the Passeig de Gracia for a walking tour of the fanciful works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. Nearby, there is a grand and fashionable gourmet chocolate boutique where you will sample the city’s finest deserts. Many of these chocolate recipes were created by Albert Adria, El Bulli the dessert chef of “el Bulli” and the brother of Ferran Adria, acclaimed the best chef in the world. After a quick rest, the architectural walking tour will be concluded with a remarkable rooftop view from La Pedreraone of Gaudi´s renowned architectural works in the most chic zone of the city or maybe you prefer to visit La Sagrada Familia Church as well? The choices are yours.
This afternoon you will have free to continue exploring the Passeig de Gracia area, perhaps taking advantage of the city's shopping, or returning to the old Gothic Quarter. We have plenty of suggestions for lunch in this bustling and cosmopolitan area.
Dinner tonight will be at a restaurant one New York Times reviewer calls "… one of the greatest restaurants in Spain." El Raco de Can Fabes is a short drive from Barcelona to a small Catalan village and set in a country villa dating from the 18th century. You will dine in luxury and style at this 3 star Michelin restaurant, in a setting that still maintains the rustic feel of the countryside. Try sumptuous dishes like hot and cold mackerel with cream of caviar or spicy foie gras with Sauterne and a puree of sweet red and green peppers.
This morning after breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the excellent Perelada vineyard in Perelada 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. Our guide is a great expert on Dali's work, will accompany you on your private guided visit of the Museum so that you can ask him all the unofficial and unconfessed secrets of this quirky artist!
Next, you will be chauffeured to your new home, a 5-star hotel and spa, located in a Catalan villa picturesquely surrounded by country landscape, indoor and outdoor pools, fine dining and complete spa amenities. You will have the rest of the day to settle into your hotel, and to take advantage of the luxurious comforts available.
This morning you will visit the medieval village of Besalú, renowned for its beauty and the 11th century Roman bridge that once was necessary to adjoin this small village to land. The local public gardens await you where villagers grow herbs for their well-known and traditional homemade wine, ratafia. The different families of Besalú have variations of this sweet wine and use their own secret combination of aromatic herbs to flavor this digestive liquor. You will certainly discover your own favorite ratafia! Also, there will be time to visit the ruins of the Jewish quarter of Besalú, dating back to the 9th century and the well-preserved Jewish baths, traditionally used for purification, dating back to the 12th century.
After a morning of exploration and a brief, picturesque drive, you will arrive at a restaurant and hotel with a distinctive mix of new age architectural designs, traditional types of cuisine and innovative cooking ideas. The proprietor converted her family's 13th century Spanish home into one of the world's best-looking dining establishments awarded with a Michelin star.
After lunch you are booked for a relaxing afternoon at the prestigious spa in your hotel. You will enjoy a fabulous Well-being Therapeutic Massage combined with St. John's Wort, Camomile and Bergamote Essential Oils.
For dinner tonight we suggest trying the exceptional dining at the hotel's restaurant.
This morning after a luxurious breakfast at your countryside spa, you will visit the city of Girona. In the old town, you will discover a magnificent cathedral with the widest Gothic nave in Europe. You will meander through the famed Jewish Quarter, where each winding narrow street brings discoveries of quaint and specialized shops to discover and you will visit the beautiful Arab baths.
This afternoon you have free to spend your time just as you wish. We suggest a visit to the most chic of the coastal towns in the Costa Brava, Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc. Starting first at a light house near a quaint Mediterranean seaside inn with a sunny outdoor terrace, you could enjoy an aperitif, the view and breeze of the sea. There are plenty of scenic walks to explore the area and picturesque ocean front spots to see as well.
Your wonderful farewell dinner this evening will be at a 3-star Michelin restaurant owned by three local Catalan brothers. Local recipes are the inspiration for the exquisite dishes served here, from delectable parfaits to the most appreciated wild mushroom soufflé. The enthusiasm and creativity of Chef Joan in his cooking is only matched by sommelier Josep’s expertise at pairing the perfect wines with your dinner. Both are complemented by the third brother, Jordi, and his delightful desserts. From aperitif to dessert, you will remember this dining experience for years to come!
Your tour concludes with a lovely breakfast at your hotel, followed by a chauffeured transfer to Barcelona for your departure.
We hope you join us for this unforgettable experience!
Your The Ultimate Gourmet Tour includes:top
- Assistance of bi-lingual Official Licensed Guide additionally specialised in cuisine and wine
- Chauffeured transport or other, depending on the travel option selected,
- Accommodation for 3 nights in a 5-star luxury hotel in the heart of the Eixample district of Barcelona (double occupancy)
- Accommodation for 3 nights in a 5-star luxury villa hotel in the Emporda countryside (double occupancy)
- 6 full breakfasts
- All the culinary, cultural visits and tastings indicated in the itinerary
- 2 gastronomic menus married with wines in famed 3-star Michelin restaurants
- 1 gastronomic menu married with wines in a famed 1-star Michelin 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 The Ultimate Gourmet Tour does not include:
- Flights
- Meals and Drinks not Specified
- Personal Expenses such as Telephone, Minibar, etc
- Tips and Gratuities (Restaurants, etc)
- Cancellation Insurance
The Ultimate Gourmet Tour dates:
Available upon request all year round.
The Ultimate Gourmet Tour 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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