Northern Spain Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela

Detailed Itinerary

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

Friday September 17: Bilbao

Our tour starts in Bilbao today. We recommend taking an early evening flight from Barcelona to Bilbao with Vueling airlines which connects with flights arriving from Australia. The group airport transfer will coincide with this flight. If you wish to arrive prior to the tour to recover from jetlag, we recommend taking our pre-tour excursion of Barcelona see page 9. After settling in to our hotel across the river from the Guggenheim, we meet for a welcome drink in hotel reception and then walk to dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Bilbao (B, D)

Saturday September 18: Guggenheim and Casco Viejo

Today we explore the striking Guggenheim museum by Frank Gehry. In 1991 the Basque government commissioned Gehry to build a work to enliven Bilbao’s decrepit port area and the result was a work that has been celebrated by critics and the general public alike. We also pay a visit to Bilbao’s renowned Museum of Fine Arts (Bellas Artes), before a mid-afternoon walking tour along the Nervión river to the Casco Viejo (old heart of the city) via the famous Calatrava bridge. Overnight Bilbao (B)

Sunday September 19: San Sebastián

This morning we take a leisurely excursion by coach to discover the picturesque resort town of San Sebastián. We sample some of the famed local tapas and Txakoli wine before exploring the centre on foot with a local guide. After some free time to walk along the waterfront of the elegant Bahia de la Concha, we join our coach trip back to Bilbao admiring the sculpture of Eduardo Chillida on the way. Overnight Bilbao (B, Tapas)

Monday September 20: La Rioja – To Castilla-Leon

Departing the Basque country, we head by coach to the wine growing region of La Rioja. We stop in Laguardia for coffee, a medieval walled city perched on a rocky outcrop and have time to explore here before a visit to the contemporary architect Santiago Calatrava’s extraordinary Bodega Ysios winery. This impressive building, with its Gaudí inspired roof and superb mountain backdrop, is an excellent location for our wine tasting. Lunch will be a typical bodega (winery) lunch at a smaller more intimate family owned vineyard.  We arrive at Burgos in the late afternoon, our destination for the next two nights. Overnight Burgos (B, L)

Tuesday September 21: Explore Burgos

We set off on foot to explore the historic centre of a city at the heart of Spain’s history and a principle crossroads of the Camino de Santiago. Amongst other sites we pause outside the Casa del Cordόn, where Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, the ‘Catholic Monarchs’, met with Colombus and endorsed his voyages to the New World, and the world heritage Gothic cathedral, built on the pilgrim’s route and inspired by the cathedrals of Paris and Reims. In the afternoon, we pay a visit to the Abbey of Las Huelgas, a beautiful Cistercian monastery just outside the city centre. In the evening, after a talk in the hotel, you might like to sample the hearty local specialty, “Lechazo”, suckling lamb- ask the tour leader for a restaurant recommendation. Overnight Burgos. (B)

Wednesday September 22: Pilgrim Route and Roman Mosaics

Departing Burgos for Leόn we witness sections of the Camino from our coach, passing pilgrims with their iconic staffs and scallop shells tied to their packs. We pause at Frόmista to admire its eleventh century Romanesque church with fine carved capitals, built for the devotion of passing pilgrims. Closer to León, we stop at the Roman Villa of Olmeda where we can view superb Roman mosaics; hidden for centuries under the rural landscape. Today for lunch we sample one of the simple pilgrim meals that hostelries provide on the Camino for the hungry walkers. On arriving at our hotel, the converted monastery of Real Colegiata, in the historic centre, we have time to explore its cloisters, basilica and museum before dinner at Los Delirios, an experimental and highly regarded local restaurant. Overnight Leόn (B, L, D)

Thursday September 23: Explore Leon

Today we enjoy a walking tour of the well-preserved medieval centre of Leόn. Our first stop will be the glorious French-style Gothic cathedral with its fine carvings and huge rose windows. Widely considered the finest Gothic building in Spain, it has earned its nickname, the ‘House of Light’. We also stop at the Pantheon of San Isidoro to relish some of the best-preserved Romanesque murals in Spain. After lunch- we suggest tapas in the Barrio Húmedo, or ‘wet quarter’- there is free time to further explore the town: either the Archaeological museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art. In the early evening we gather for a talk in the hotel. Overnight Leόn (B)

Friday September 24: To Asturias

Today we head over the mountains to the enchanting city of Oviedo, where peacocks roam the Campo de San Francisco, and the well-tended parks and squares are lined with Baroque palaces. After lunch and a walking tour of the centre we venture to the edge of town to survey the beautiful ninth century ‘pre-Romanesque’ architecture of the churches of San Miguel de Lillo and Santa María del Naranco, which have been granted UNESCO world heritage. Set at the foot of the surrounding mountains the countryside sets off their simplicity and austere design. We enjoy an early evening meal in the Bulevar de la Sidra, ‘cider boulevard’, a superb place to people watch and marvel at the waiters pouring this local speciality, in the traditional way – from a great height. Overnight Oviedo (B, D)

Saturday September 25: The Picos de Europa

For some of Spain’s finest mountain scenery we take a day trip to the dramatic Picos de Europa, one of Spain’s most visited National Parks. We take the spectacular drive up to the Lakes of Covodonga and enjoy a rustic lunch in a mountain refuge. There is the option of a short walk around the lakes in the company of a local guide (good walking shoes required as the terrain is sometimes uneven). Overnight Oviedo (B, L)

Sunday September 26: Into Galicia

We leave the hotel early today to drive the last leg of the Camino route to Santiago de Compostela. En route we visit Castro de Viladonga, an excavated Celtic village over 1500 years old, with an interesting museum attached. We stop for lunch in Lugo, the only city in the world still surrounded by fully intact Roman walls and work up an appetite by walking the fortifications – over 2 kilometres of them if you wish to do the full circuit. On arrival in Santiago we check into our historic hotel, just off the main square. Tonight, we enjoy fine tapas at Abastos 2.0, a cutting-edge extension of the local market which uses excellent regional produce. Overnight Santiago (B, D)

Monday September 27: Santiago de Compostela

Today we explore the beautiful urban area of Santiago de Compostela and witness the emotion of the pilgrims arriving at the cathedral after a journey of over 800 kilometres. The Portico de la Gloria, the main facade, has carvings of 200 figures referring to the Apocalypse, and St James welcomes the pilgrims to their final destination. In the afternoon, there is the option of a leisurely walk along a pretty section of the Camino just outside Santiago. Overnight Santiago (B)

Tuesday September 28: The Atlantic coast

On our last full day in Spain we take an excursion to the beautiful coastline of the Rias Baixas (low estuaries), an area highly renowned for its albariño wine and seafood. We enjoy a wine tasting at the stately home of Pazo de Rubianes, and a walk through their camellia gardens before a leisurely lunch at the excellent seafood restaurant Yayo Daporta which is Michelin star rated. After lunch, we take a stroll along the coast to view the mussel platform farms, before returning to our hotel. Overnight Santiago (B, L)

Wednesday September 29: Depart

The tour concludes this morning after breakfast. Iberian airlines operate services from Santiago to Madrid to connect with Emirates or Qatar airways. Airport transfers are provided for anyone who has booked their flights with Academy Travel. (B)