Bedazzling Barcelona & Gorgeous Girona

Arrive at the Barcelona International Airport (El Prat) and hop into a taxi. There are plenty of them. Now, head to the 5-star Ohla Barcelona. Your facilitator will meet you at the hotel.

Take time to settle in and freshen up. The day is yours to relax at the pool, nap, and luxuriate in this wonderful hotel.

In the evening, we set out, with our local guide, for a walking tour of central Barcelona followed by a welcome dinner at Plassohla Restaurant.

Grab a coffee and breakfast at the hotel restaurant and prepare for a morning of Barcelona exploration.

Today, we set out with a local guide to experience the whimsy and wonder that is Gaudí’s architecture. We’ll visit the inside of the still unfinished (after 150 years) Sagrada Família Basilica, a stunner with dozens of animals cavorting on the façade.

There’s time for a short stop to admire the curvy façades of Gaudí’s La Pedrera and Casa Batlló before heading up the hillside to Park Güell, an expansive area that blooms with gardens and buildings by Gaudí.

From the park, our private transport will whisk us back to the hotel for a bit of downtime. It's your time to explore the city from our central base or shop at the many nearby boutiques. Lunch is on your own, either at the hotel or one of the many cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood.

In the evening, we’ll get together again for dinner at the modern gourmet restaurant Ten’s for a true Catalan culinary experience followed by a concert at El Palau de la Musica.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then we’re off in our private van, heading south for the day. The first stop is at the sandcastle spires of Montserrat Mountain, where an eponymous abbey sits snugly between the peaks.

A Benedictine community has existed on Montserrat for almost 1,000 years and is still active today. The spectacularly beautiful landscape is popular with hikers and rock climbers. Short hikes meander on paved pathways from the abbey. It’s a quick jump to Penedès from Montserrat, Spain’s premier cava region. (Cava is like champagne but made in Spain). We’ll have lunch in wine country at the Codorníu vineyard including a tour and a bubbly wine tasting. The expert bilingual guides will explain the 450-year-old history of this brand and give you the scoop on how to best serve cava (spoiler: icy cold). In the afternoon we’ll head back to Barcelona. Enjoy the evening on your own or head out for dinner with some of your new amigas.

After breakfast, we’ll head to the famous, sprawling Boqueria Market. Wander between stalls and consider the fact that vendors have been selling their wares here since the 13th century.

We will stop at a few select spots to buy the ingredients for our private cooking class. Then it’s over to the kitchen where the chef will show us the ropes. This is a hands-on experience, so get ready to tie on an apron and slice and dice. The payoff is a three-course meal with wine enjoyed with the rest of your GG2P travelers.

Enjoy some “you time” after lunch. Hit the hotel for a siesta or stroll the Gothic Quarter to sightsee and shop.

Tonight, we'll enjoy an exceptional meal at Hisop with its Michelin star. "Chef Oriol Ivern serves fresh, creative dishes that offer a different take on Catalan culinary tradition and are always based around locally sourced seasonal ingredients" according to the Michelin guide. 

Sleep tight, as tomorrow we are off to the Costa Brava.

Today, we will depart Barcelona to motor north to Girona. Perched on the Onyar River, the walled city of Girona is our first stop in the Costa Brava. With roots reaching back to Roman times, the city is a compact cluster of history and culture.

We’ll begin with a walking tour of Girona with our local Catalan guides. Visit the cathedral, the Jewish Quarter, and enjoy some free time in the old part of the city browsing the charming boutiques.

Today our lunch is at Calros situated in the old quarter in an old inn with stone walls and arches, a former meeting point for the merchants of yesteryear. 

After lunch, we’ll head to Púbol to explore Gala’s Castle. Gala was Salvador Dalí’s wife, and the artist gave her the castle as a gift. It is a weird and wonderful place, and we’ll learn much more about the castle, the couple, and their interesting visitation arrangement.

From Púbol we’ll make our way to our hotel, the 4-star Hostal Empuries and Spa located on the Mediterranean Sea next to Greco-Roman ruins. Take time to wander the grounds and have a drink, or a spa treatment (not included). This is your home for the next two nights.

Later in the evening, we will have dinner together at the hotel overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s been a full day—let’s toast to that!

Today is all about wine, history, and art – three things we love about Catalonia!

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the Greek ruins of Empuries and learn more about the ancient people who called this coastline home. (The Iberians were also here). The Greeks loved their wine, and we do too! After our tour we’ll have a “secret” wine tasting, discovering the reds and whites created along the rugged Costa Brava terrain.

We'll lunch together at the Restaurant Hotel Duran in Figueres.

Fortified and feeling fine, we’ll hop in the van for a quick trip to Figueres to get up close and personal with Salvador Dalí’s artwork at the Teatre-Museu Dalí. We’ll learn more about the artist’s fascinating life and see how his work evolved over the years. Dali’s museum is like no other you've ever seen. In fact, everything in it was conceived and designed by the artist himself. We’ll have a guided tour of the museum and then some free time to look around the grounds or shop and wander Figueres. Even if you're not a Dali fan, after learning more about the man and the importance of his work, you’ll walk away changed.

Later, we will head back to our fabulous hotel. Enjoy some downtime, sip some cava, and marvel at how lucky we are to be in this remarkable place.

We’ll enjoy dinner together as a group at our lovely hotel.

Wake up slowly and have a leisurely breakfast. We’ll make our way back to Barcelona today, but not before stopping at two villages that are guaranteed to steal your heart and fill your camera roll.

Our first stop is Peratallada, a stone village erected in the Middle Ages. Peratallada means “carved stone” and you’ll understand why as you tour this charming hamlet. We will also stop at Pals, another Medieval village that will captivate you with its cobblestone pathways, bursting flower boxes, and snug plazas.

Together, we will enjoy our lunch in the region at Begur at Diferent. 

It’s okay to snooze as we cruise south to Barcelona. You’ve had a full morning and a wonderful meal; let us take care of the driving while you relax in the van.

In the afternoon, we will arrive at the 5–star The Claris Hotel & Spa in Barcelona. After settling into the hotel, the rest of the afternoon is yours to catch up on anything you missed during the first few days of the trip. Maybe you want more Gaudí or feel like scoping out a few of Barcelona’s art museums, like the Joan Miró Foundation, the Picasso Museum, or the MACBA.

We’ll conclude our adventure together with a farewell dinner at Pau Claris 190 near the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to say our goodbyes. It’s “fins després” to all your GG2W amigas before hopping into a taxi to the Barcelona International Airport for your return flight home.

We are happy to help you set up your taxi to the airport with the help of the hotel’s front desk.