Bordeaux, Rioja and The Pilgrim's Trail

We meet at London St Pancras for the Eurostar service to Paris.
On arrival, we change trains for Bordeaux, home for two nights. On
Day 2, we set out on a guided tour, seeing the
Place de la Bourse and the cathedral. Later, we head to the famous
Saint-Emilion wine-making region, visiting a traditional wine
château for lunch with the owners of the estate. We continue to the
village and vineyard of Saint-Emilion for a tour and time to
explore.

Departing Bordeaux today, we cross over the border to Spain
where we travel by coach to San Sebastian. After some time here to
explore, we head on to Bilbao and check into our hotel before
dinner. We visit the iconic Guggenheim Museum on Day
4 before enjoying a tour taking in the historic heart of
beautiful Bilbao. On Day 5, we discover the
spectacular viticulture of Rioja. The towns here produce
world-famous wines, and we enjoy tastings at La Guardia and Marques
de Riscal, winner of a Michelin star, alongside a lunch of local
specialties.

We take the train to León, checking into our hotel on arrival.
After settling in, we set off on a guided walking tour of the Old
Town, seeing the city's architecture, from the stained-glass
windows of the Gothic cathedral to the vibrant frescoed ceilings of
its Romanesque basilica. On Day 7, we travel to
historic Santiago de Compostela for three-nights at a 5-Star
hotel.

We uncover the elegance of Santiago de Compostela on a guided
tour. The iconic cathedral here is of enormous importance, with its
steps being the final destination on the pilgrimage of St James. On
Day 9, we head out into the countryside on an
excursion to discover the Galician Coast. We visit Pontevedra,
Combarro, and O Grove, where we enjoy a catamaran cruise. We
continue to Cambados before returning to Santiago for dinner at a
traditional parador.

Boarding the train to Madrid, we check into our
centrally-located hotel in the Spanish capital for two nights. A
guided walking tour on Day 11 introduces us to the
city's main sights, including the beautiful Royal Palace and
17th-century Plaza Mayor. With free time afterwards, a visit to one
of the city's celebrated museums or art galleries is a must. The
most famous is the Prado Museum, regarded as Spain's leading art
gallery and featuring one of the best collections in the world.
Amongst its exhibits, you'll find works by leading Spanish artists
such as Goya, Velázquez, Tizian, Rubens, and Bosch. On Day
12, we transfer to the airport for our flight to London
Heathrow.

*Please Note: You will need to take your luggage back to the
UK with you on your flight, rather than it travelling via our
luggage transfer service.