Barcelona Tour

Arriving in Barcelona

We meet at the Turkish Airlines counter in the international departures terminal of Istanbul Airport, 3 hours before the flight. After check-in and passport control we board Turkish Airlines flight TK 1853, departing at 09.00 for Barcelona. We land at 10.45 local time and set off in our waiting vehicle. Our Barcelona city tour begins.

Barcelona, Spain's second largest city and the capital of Catalonia, draws millions of visitors every year with its history, art, food and nightlife on the Mediterranean. The works of Antoni Gaudí turn the city into an open-air museum. Our city tour takes in La Sagrada Familia, the Columbus Monument, Montjuïc Hill, La Rambla, Plaza de España and Plaça de Catalunya, the Andalusian Arena and the Olympic Port.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel for free time. Overnight at the hotel.

Girona, Figueras and Dali

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra Pearls of Northern Catalonia tour (Girona, Figueres and the Dalí Museum, 70 Euro). Our first stop is Girona, about 100 kilometres north of Barcelona, known for its medieval lanes, historic buildings, museums, churches and walls. Here we see the Lion statue, Cathedral Square and the Jewish Quarter, El Call. We continue to Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí. Its highlight is the Dalí Museum, founded by the artist himself and designed by him down to the last corner. It holds the largest Dalí collection, with more than 4000 works made in many different techniques.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel.

In the evening, guests who wish can join the optional extra flamenco night (55 Euro). Seen as the language of emotion and passion, flamenco is an important part of Spain's cultural heritage, and its dance and music make for a lively evening. We then return to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Gaudi, Gothic Quarter, Sitges

After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Park Güell and the Gothic Quarter (60 Euro). Park Güell, one of Antoni Gaudí's best known works, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Known as the fairy-tale park, it charms with its colourful stairways and dreamlike pavilions. We then move on to the Gothic Quarter, with medieval lanes, Gothic churches, romantic squares and Roman walls. Its highlights include Barcelona Cathedral, Plaça Reial (the Royal Square), Plaça del Rei (the King's Square) and La Rambla.

Afterwards, guests who wish can join the optional extra tour of Sitges (40 Euro). Southwest of Barcelona on the Mediterranean, Sitges is a seaside town known for its turquoise sea, beaches, galleries, museums and festivals. We start at the steps of the 17th century church of San Bartolomé and Santa Tecla, built on the remains of earlier Romanesque and Gothic churches. In the old streets we see the Maricel Palace and Museum, a gem of Modernisme, and opposite it the Cau Ferrat Museum, home of Santiago Rusiñol, one of the leaders of the Catalan modernist movement, whose exhibitions here did much to put the town on the map. After the colourful lanes that host the Sitges horror and fantasy film festival, we head down to the beach and spend the rest of the day like the locals.

After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Homeward from Barcelona

After breakfast at the hotel we transfer to the airport at the time set by our guide. After check-in and passport control we board Turkish Airlines flight TK1468, departing at 14.25 for Istanbul Airport. We arrive at 20.05 local time, and our tour ends.