Madrid & La Rioja Tour: A Tale of Two Cultures Through Tradition, Food & Wine

Vineyard in La Rioja, Spain

What to expect on this itinerary

Spain is a confluence of cultures that uniquely flow out of each region. Madrid boasts a contemporary and fast-paced atmosphere encased in a city of historic buildings. El Rioja is a region emblematic of vineyards and medieval towns spread throughout the countryside. This Madrid and La Rioja tour is custom-tailored to tell a tale of two cultures through tradition, food and wine. Visit elegant palaces and sip wine in a cellar with over 500 years of history. From paintings to cuisine, people to architecture, countryside to cityscape, you will discover culture in Spain.

Countries Visited

Spain

Places Visited

Madrid, Toledo, Haro, Logrono, Laguardia, Elciego

Suggested Duration

8 Days

Customizable Itinerary

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Day 1

Knowing Where to Start

Madrid both encapsulates and separates itself from the remarkable cultures of Spain. The Spanish capital city has a firm grip on its historic routes, cultural identity, and gastronomical fingerprint. The Gran Via is lined with baroque facades of antique buildings. Plaza Mayor is encircled by on old palace with over 237 balconies looking inward on the square. Locals and visitors sit in the charming cafes and let the aromas of freshly baked pastries and steaming coffee engulf them. When you arrive at the airport, your private transfer is already waiting for you. The city bursts with regal and cultural fame.

The Golden Triangle of Art is comprised of three most important art museums in the city: the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums. The country’s heritage emanates from the opulence of the Royal Palace and the decadence of Michelin Star rated restaurants. The modern world meets the far-reaching historic architecture. The city moves to the fast pace of capital streets, but the people contain a charm of the countryside. While you find the cultures of the entire country settling in, Madrid is unique in its energy and is remarkably different. The longer you stay, the more you will understand that Spain is a single country but Madrid is a different world.

What's Included:

Transfer
Accommodation
Day 2

Discovering Madrid

Day 3

Capturing Toledo

Day 4

The Strength of Dedication

Day 5

Collecting Europe

Day 6

Good to Be Guided

Day 7

On the Footsteps of Pioneers

Day 8

Cultural Collaboration

Trip Highlights

  • Discover the vast cultural differences between Madrid and the northern villages of La Rioja Province
  • Visit the exceptional landmarks, from historical buildings to celebrated museums, of Madrid
  • Explore Toledo, and entire medieval city distinguished by UNESCO as a Cultural Heritage Site
  • Witness the world’s largest building at El Escorial, a stunning 16th-century edifice
  • Travel the La Rioja wine trail on guided visits to the local wineries
  • Stumble upon hidden restaurants and cafes in a distinctive food-centric medieval village
  • Stroll through the world’s largest wine museum

Detailed Description

Sip a fresh coffee as you sit in an open café surrounded by the façade of an old palace. Wander down a street known to have over 80 separate small restaurants, each offering unique and local cuisine. On this 8-day Madrid and Rioja tour you will experience two cultures through tradition, food and wine. Start your luxury Spain vacation in the capital, a city filled with fascinating heritage. The Royal Palace is alluring and the old quarter embodies the history of the entire country. Spend the first day on a privately guided tour of the city’s most exciting monuments. Visit Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. Spend time wandering through your preferred art museum of the golden triangle. Journey to Toledo for the day and enjoy a guided tour of the medieval city. Toledo is an amalgamation of cultural history, collecting distinctive art and containing legacies of palaces, fortresses, mosques, synagogues, and churches.

En route to Haro, you will stop at El Escorial, the largest building in the entire world. The complex is a combined palace and monastery that dates back to the 16th century. The opulent interior contrasts the sharp façade. Spend time enjoying Haro, a sleepy medieval town considered to be at the heart of the La Rioja wine region. Visit the largest wine museum compiled to date at Dinastia Vivanco. Learn about the history of wine cultivation and the importance of grape varietals and diverse landscape. Enjoy your private guided tour of the wineries and surrounding villages.

Each vineyard explains another aspect of wine production and offers fabulous samples of the regional wines that reinforce information with flavorful facts. Explore the broad regions of the countryside, the quiet charm of persistent medieval villages, and the exceptional cuisine along Calle Laurel, one of the most celebrated gastronomical streets in the country. Follow the footsteps of vintner pioneers and enjoy the stunning landscape around Elciego and Laguardia. If you don’t love wine at the start of your visit to La Rioja, you will certainly delight in its history and passionate followers. You have your preference of transferring to Bilbao or returning to Madrid for your flight home. You have experienced just the tip of Spanish culture and can always continue the exploration.

Starting Price

$3,200 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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The planning experience was wonderful overall. From the initial conversation about what my family was looking for to the final touches to the itinerary, Zicasso's travel expert was engaging, responsive, and helpful.

The accommodations he selected for us exceeded expectations; they were spacious, beautiful, and well-located. The tours/activities suggested were really fun and gave us a sense of the locale in a unique and memorable way that fit our family well. Once we were in-country, communications were easy and helpful. We felt very well cared for.

Payment to our travel company was easy and it was a real pleasure once we were in-country to have all the identified items already paid for. I would definitely book a trip with them again.

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Zicasso's travel specialists did a great job for us. They clearly listened to us and curated an experience that was made specifically for us. It checked all of the boxes and more.

Highlights were the local tour guides in each city. It was great to meet and get to know local people, learn so much history, see the architecture (Gaudí in Barcelona and the awesome palaces and cathedrals that we visited), the Montserrat hike, Caminito del Rey (which was absolutely better with a guide), and the Marbella e-bike adventure.

The hotels were wonderful; all unique and all great choices. We came home happy and tired, which is the sign of a good trip for us (since we do not ever sit on beaches or at pools and relax!).

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist.

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