Green Spain — The North

Private transfer to Madrid. Walk through the old Habsburg quarter, the Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol.

• Madrid historic centre
• Plaza Mayor & Puerta del Sol
• First dinner in Madrid

Overnight: Madrid

Day trip to Segovia — whose Roman aqueduct has stood 2,000 years without mortar, and whose Alcázar inspired Walt Disney. Return to Madrid.

• Segovia Roman aqueduct
• Segovia Alcázar
• Ávila medieval walls (optional)

Overnight: Madrid

Drive north through Zaragoza — the Basílica del Pilar reflected in the Ebro — before arriving in Bilbao.

• Zaragoza — Basílica del Pilar
• Bilbao Guggenheim Museum
• Bilbao Casco Viejo

Overnight: Bilbao

A full day in San Sebastián: the perfect bay, Belle Époque architecture and a private pintxos tour through the bars of the Parte Vieja.

• San Sebastián Parte Vieja
• La Concha beach & promenade
• Monte Urgull castle views
• Private pintxos tour

Overnight: San Sebastián

Pamplona — the route of the Running of the Bulls, the Plaza del Castillo and the medieval old town. Then into La Rioja for a private bodega visit.

• Pamplona — route of the San Fermín
• Plaza del Castillo
• Rioja wine country
• Bodega visit & tasting

Overnight: Logroño or Haro

West along the dramatic Cantabrian coast — cliffs, fishing villages and pristine beaches with cold green Atlantic water.

• Cantabrian coast scenic drive
• Fishing villages & ports
• Atlantic cliff viewpoints
• Santander old town

Overnight: Santander or Gijón

Comillas has a Gaudí building entirely at odds with its surroundings. Into Asturias — whose pre-Romanesque churches are older than any Moorish building in Spain — and Oviedo.

• Comillas — El Capricho by Gaudí
• Pre-Romanesque churches of Asturias
• Oviedo Cathedral & old town

Overnight: Oviedo

Covadonga — where in 722 AD the Christian Reconquest began. The sanctuary in a mountain cave, the glacial lake and the extraordinary Picos de Europa.

• Covadonga sanctuary & sacred lake
• Picos de Europa mountains
• Cangas de Onís Roman bridge

Overnight: en route to Santiago

The Cathedral, the Pilgrim Mass, the Botafumeiro — the giant incense burner swung dramatically across the nave — and the extraordinary atmosphere of arrival.

• Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
• Pilgrim Mass & Botafumeiro
• Praza do Obradoiro
• Old town & Mercado de Abastos

Overnight: Santiago de Compostela

Private transfer to Santiago airport. 10 days, a completely different Spain.

• Final morning in Santiago
• Private transfer to airport

Overnight: End of tour